


Good old days

by TFALokiwriter



Category: Lost in Space (TV 1965)
Genre: Aliens, Anniversary, Future Fic, Gen, Lost in Space 55th Anniversary, old best friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26487325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: This is a intentional 55th anniversary fic unlike 'degraded' which wasn't. Most of this was pre-written a year or two ago then had to be edited to fulfill this being the 55th anniversary and the chapter ending was added.One scene is ripped from a blooper, but as I said, edited to fit in line with the passage of time.Edited further; this time, to fit in line with how long it has been since the passing of a star.
Relationships: Will Robinson & Zachary Smith
Kudos: 1





	1. The eager castaway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a intentional 55th anniversary fic unlike 'degraded' which wasn't. Most of this was pre-written a year or two ago then had to be edited to fulfill this being the 55th anniversary and the chapter ending was added. 
> 
> One scene is ripped from a blooper, but as I said, edited to fit in line with the passage of time.
> 
> Edited further; this time, to fit in line with how long it has been since the passing of a star.

Will pressed on the circular yellow button. On the screen in front of him appeared a familiar large bright blue eye that was aged up close to the peephole and took up most of the screen. Will was taken back at first from the doorway. 

“Oh, hello there."

It was the familiar voice, familiar tone, less cowardly, just as how Will last remembered it. Compared to how the rest of his family’s voices had changed, Smith was the only one of them who’s voice remained the same. It was if it were just yesterday that he was in his fifties and Will was a boy.

“Do I know you?”

Will smiled.

“It’s me, Doctor Smith. Will.” Will waved back at the aged blue eye. “We were out in space for three years together.”

“Me who?” Smith’s eye narrowed at him. 

“Doctor Robinson,” Will stated. 

“Doctor Robinson who?” His eye narrowed further. 

“Doctor William Robbinson,” the eye relaxed but confusion spelled out on to it. “We kept in contact since we got back to Earth, remember? Last fifty-two we have been sending emails to each other?” 

“I don’t know anyone by Doctor Robbinson,”

Will looked up toward the ceiling, exasperated, with a sigh then lowered his eyes toward the window. 

“Doctor William Robinson, former member of the Earthship Jupiter 2, former occasional pilot, former child worker, and former message delivery,” he tapped on his fingers as he recounted the various roles that he had fulfilled. “Former egg scourer, former taste tester, former xenorock collector, former first contact specialist with aliens, former bell boy, former purple heart recipient for surviving in space for so long—“

“No, you didn’t!"

“Yes, I did."

“It was a heart of valor."

“That is a purple heart, Doctor Smith,”

The door opened revealing a scowling small elderly man in a brown suit that was in two different shades; one of pitch black and the other of a lighter tone but dark enough to be recognized as a distinguished brown color. The suit itself looked large on the elder as if he hadn’t replaced quite yet for a new one that was of his size. It was young and well preserved compared to how time had treated his old friend.

It was exactly the same suit that Will had last seen him the day after they had returned to Earth regaling his side of the voyage to anyone around him. The same suit he had been in during the ceremony that he bolted out, silently, after the awards were given to his family. He was shorter than Will had remembered and his hair was a pure white. His hairline had receded considerably. 

“It was a blue and white medal,” Smith jabbed a bony finger into Will’s chest. “That is a heart of valor, ninny!"

“Oh, like you know the differences between color,” Will said with a smirk then his brows rose up. “You pressed the wrong button!”

“Wrong button?” Smith was infuriated. “I don’t know what you are talking about. Is this about the space pod? I pressed the right button!”

“Dad told you to press the blue button in the escape pod and you pressed the orange one that sent us off course and closer to Earth,” Will said. “You didn’t expect that to happen.”

“I didn’t,” Smith reached his hand back into a clasp. “None of us did.”

“You never honestly expected to be who leads us back to Earth and to stay,” Will continued. “Earth feels more alien than home to you. Like we are on another planet but we can’t leave because there isn’t any fuel to drill. And instead of being happy, you’ve been quite the opposite living in your little warm cave.”

“Is that what you got from our little emails to each other?” Smith asked, warily, with a cock of his head. “That I feel miserable?”

“Your tone wasn’t quite cheerful in your emails,” Will said. “And you hardly mentioned about the places you have been.”

“When you have been in space for long as you have,” Smith said. “Everything feels the same.”

“Whatever happened to those people you knew?” Will continued. “That man and woman? Did something happen to them the day of the ceremony and that’s why you left? You never answered my question in the emails. I understand why you went into hiding but not why you didn’t stay for just five minutes to say goodbye.”

“My troubles were the kind that would spoil a welcoming month,” Smith said. “I lost those people to time, my own enemies, and my own mistakes.” Sorrow decorated his features. “If I had stayed even longer then I feared. . .” 

Smith looked off, regretfully, hauntedly, sorrowfully. 

“If you stayed longer what would have happened, Doctor Smith?"

“Something would have happened to your family."

“They had the best security,”

“People I have wronged are more skilled than any security officer, William."

“So you ran like a coward you were instead of staying and telling us what kind of trouble that you were in.” Will frowned looking upon the older man with his arms folded.

“You wouldn’t have known it was my fault but it would have been. Aliens couldn’t be blamed. It was only humans. I had just been given the call, then, it was a split second decision. Myself or you. That immunity couldn’t last forever, my dear boy.” He fondly smiled raising his attention up toward Will and began to change the subject. “You have gotten to be the one taller and I be the short one.”

“Time changes us,” Will said. “Why did you never mention to me about entering the nanobots program?"

"Your family would have balked at the procedure."

"And for very good reason sounds to me. Must have been very painful getting them."

"No."

"Why did you need to do that? That was the last and only thing we found out after you left. And the location of the program was highly classified.”

“To _remove_ them." Smith replied, somberly, but darkly. "They were quite alien in nature. I needed to blend in. Don't know what foreign nanobots can do in civilization and how I'll be the topic of discussion in every household."

"You wouldn't have ever been a freak to us, Doctor Smith." Will said, quietly.

“Come on in, my dear boy.” Smith stepped aside allowing in the younger man. “What brings you here this fine evening?”

“Just to talk,” Will said, coming inside with a small smile. “About old times.”

“You must be here to talk about the days we were lost,” Smith said. “That unmanned launch is bringing back memories and no one wants to talk about it for a special!" Smith threw his hands into the air. "Hard to believe it has been _fifty-five_ years!" Smith turned away with a hand wave into the air walking. "After the family program having been seen through by one point two million families and more.”

“Unmanned spacecraft,” Will said. “A recipe for certain disaster waiting to happen.”

“Speaking of being unmanned,” Smith wheeled on his heels turning toward Will. “If it’s unmanned then why does it have food rations? Equipment? All the works?” Smith pressed a button summoning the doors to close behind Will as he turned toward the younger man. “Are they secretly sending another family out there?”

“Are they?” Will asked.

“That is a excellent question that I like to hear the answer of,” Smith grumbled.

“Is Robot on there?” Will asked. 

“Disaster strikes because no one knew there was people assigned aboard,” Smith said, evasively. “There isn’t.”

“What do you know?” Will asked, eying at the elder. 

“They intend to send in the crew after the main ship is there,” Smith returned with a glass of champagne and two glasses as Will walked toward the living room. “They want to reduce the chances of losing a entire family in the first go if someone sabotages the mission.” 

Smith became silent as he poured the glasses and Will reflected over the maiden voyage.   
  
“No one expected you, Doctor Smith." Will reminded. 

Smith chuckled. 

“My dear boy,” Smith started. “It’s expected to happen."

"So?" Will asked, puzzled.

"Which means they are very prepared and over zealous in the security of the ship before flight, during flight, and after flight.” Smith replied.

“You think it won’t happen,” Will said. “Don’t be so arrogant. We were that way too.”

“That ninny has a system that awakens him precisely one minute after lift over and scan for any signs of sabotage.” He plucked the lid on to the champagne. “Classified information that you didn’t hear.”

“I read you weren’t involved,” Will said. 

“I wasn’t,” Smith said. “The admiral is a blabber mouth." he motioned his hands together mimicking talking with certain dramatics. "Gushing about how updated she is." Smith rolled his eyes. "How better she is. How . . . . Improved she is this time around.”

“Ah,” Will walked toward the balcony with his hands in his pockets then looked up toward the transparent dome. “So he has been unloading all that on you.”

“They have learned their lesson on giving one new route to go.” Smith stopped in the living room with the two glasses in his hands. “What in the heavens are you thinking standing out in the cold in my balcony?” 

“You acted after we got back from space that you had enough view of space after three years in it,” Will turned away from the balcony railing toward the doctor with a smile. “Nice view.”

“Cheapest and safest viewing I have of the cosmos,” Smith said. “Something that doesn’t terrify me every day compared to that.”

Will sat down into the chair alongside the balcony doors. 

“You are one very hard man to track down.”

Smith chuckled in return, bitterly. 

“The light pollution makes it hard to see the stars,” Smith sat down beside Will in another chair. “Are you growing a beard?”

“Me? Nooooo,” Will shook his head. “It is just the lighting. Hell, looks like you got a mustache!”

“William, don’t be insulting,” Smith said. “And I am certain there won’t be any forms of sabotage. The bubble headed booby's delicate instruments are out of date for most hackers, want to be saboteurs, and technicians.” He handed the glass to Will. “A old friend of mine says they packed in more tapes than necessary.” 

“Which means Don said that.” Will assumed. 

“No,” Smith said. 

“Who?” Will asked, intrigued.

“I am not telling you their name,” Smith took a sip from the glass. “Over eager personnel wanting to vent. They even asked advice about adapted programming of a almost alien machine and whether or not they need updated.” 

Will raised his brows taking another sip from the glass.

“Of course,” Smith finished with a snicker. “I told them to read the memo that Alpha Control sent out about the issue. Which was not to bother with his programming after initial installation of the new one for the new flight.”

“No such thing as unnecessary when it comes to the Jupiter 2,” Will’s attention was on the older man who lowered the glass and he had a champagne mustache above his lips. “You would look good with a mustache.”

“Bah hum bug!”

Smith took another sip from the glass. 

“You would!” 

Smith shot a mean glare toward Will as he smacked his arm on the arm rest.

“Doctor William Edward Robinson, you are just trying to flatter me and that is unneeded! I feel just as good as I did about myself as I did before I got so unflatteringly fragile. . . Made me instantly regret the procedure."

“Oh?” Will lifted a brow up. “Then what about that mustache you had last year?”

Smith spat out what he was drinking looking toward Will like he had been caught.

“What mustache?” 

“You were at the protest about making contact with ‘strange, floating green humanoid people’.”

“I was not!”

“I saw you and that’s how I found out about you while browsing the national news. Took some digging but I found where you lived through the other protestors.” Will said. “It’s no use denying the facts to me. I thought you would write books, go to Europe, and evade extradition. What brought you back here? After all the troubles you have stirred in America.”

There was a long moment of silence between them as Smith looked back at the past reflecting over the events that had transpired. 

“Nobody was looking around for Doctor Zachary Smith after eighteen years,” Smith said. “So I decided to come back under a different name and catch up on medical science. The last decade has been quite eventful with little adjustment needing to adapt to a new solar dome. Quite less eventful than that crude outer space. . .”

The comment lingered as they sat in silence watching the reflection of the city lights on the glass to the dome. 

“Remember how the old days were?” Will broke the long silence looking toward the older doctor. “How you didn’t need to adapt to each domes temperature? Where you didn’t need to be under one?”

“I remember them."

“The old days where we can go anywhere we wanted on the planet we were on and have a blast."

“Define blasts."

“How we played some space games with the equipment, caught fish, and got to ride animate objects like that meteorites we found that acted like a bull. And those strangers who popped up when we were in the middle of something else! Sure, that was scary, but the best part was getting to know why they were doing it and how we could help.”

Smith listened, silently, to the younger man’s gushing then looked off for a moment in regret. 

“The days you remember fondly was painful, confusing, and full of hardships for other parties,” Smith lowered his gaze toward the contents of his cup spinning it in circles gently. “Difficult even.”

“But, you enjoyed it,” Will said. “It was fun.”

“So did you for a time,” Smith reminded. “It tired you out.”

“I was a kid,” Will said. “I wondered why child labor was illegal. But after I met you, I quickly learned why.”

“We were lucky back then to get out of that lifestyle even for a child to live through,” Smith lifted his gaze up with a tinge of regret in his eyes and on his face. “Each and every one of us had to make sacrifices.”

“We got out of them,” Will reminded. “That was how we got out most of them. By love.”

“Luck is how we got out of them,” Smith said. “And good will.”

“Space feels more ideal to be in than this planet,” Will said. “Clear skies with no protective domes, white clouds, dark gray clouds, thunderstorms, heatwaves that don’t kill you, hail that doesn’t destroy everything, outdoor lakes and ponds that are relatively clean but full of wildlife, leeches, fish, no deadly substance. . .”

“And clean air,” Smith continued. “Armed with laser rifles and laser pistols on rare occasions.”

“That was the best part,” Will said. “It was safe.”

“It was fun,” Smith said. “Back then, it was your parents and Admiral West who had the concerns of the mission on their mind and surviving for another day.”

“But being in space made it all worth it,” Will said. “Being kind to others.”

“That. . .” Smith started to say. “Those are the moments that I like. Lately, I feel lost. The same kind of lost that I felt aboard the Jupiter 2 all those years ago,” He shook his head. “But I am not lost.”

“You’re home,” Will said. 

“Exactly,” Smith whispered. “It troubles me.”

“I feel the same way,” Will said. “Space is home to us. Isn’t it? That’s the only way we can feel safe in and find comfort in at our darkest moments.” he nodded to himself. “I feel lost. More lost than we did out there. I didn’t feel lost when we were searching for a way to Alpha Centauri. I liked the part about being on my toes, the adrenaline, and the uncertainty of what was going to happen next. The kind that Earth doesn’t have.”

“William,” Smith leaned forward in concern from the chair. “What are you thinking of doing?”

Will turned his attention upon the older man. 

“I am going back out there, Doctor Smith." Will said. "In five hours."

A radiant smile illuminated the older man’s face as he leaned back into the chair then clapped his hands together. 

“Ah! So you applied to the explorer’s program,” Smith said. “Excellent choice for a robotics professional!”

“I didn’t,” Will said. 

The glee faded into confusion. 

“Oh?” Smith said, concerned. 

“I am going to steal the Jupiter 2 and get away with it,” Will said. “Tonight. It will be perfect. Everyone will be busy. No one will be paying attention–“

“The artificial defense system will be,” Smith slid up in the chair taking a long sip from the glass. “You will get caught.”

“AI’s can be manipulated, Doctor Smith."

“You haven’t done any hacking as of recently through the toughest firewall, have you?”

“No,” Will admitted. “I am just going off the hope that. . . Um. . . I actually need help on that part.”

“You don’t have to manipulate AI, William,” Smith said. “You just need someone who knows the weak points to make your escape from Earth and have yourself a very good time.”

Will sharply turned his head toward the doctor, caught off guard, then narrowed his eyes.

“So. . . the internet rumors are true,” Will said. “You do sneak in to the Jupiter 2 for fun.”

Slowly, but surely, Smith proceeded to grin widely that turned into a smile toward Will.

“It’s the last silver of adventure I can get that has a bit of risk,” Smith said. 

“This time,” Will said. “No time loop, no greed, no Alpha Centauri. Not doing it to save lives. Just for fun.”

Smith got up to his feet. 

“You are doing it to spare yourself of dying by boredom,” Smith said. “Your body can't go through a real adventure!”

Then Smith walked out of the room.

"Why not?"

"William, you're sixty-six years old!"

"What are you going to do? Tell them? Wait five minutes before doing that; I haven’t rented a electrical car for the military dome activity sector!”

Smith turned toward Will with one of his familiar but aged versions of a grin. 

“You don’t need to,” Smith said. “I have befriended several MIT specialists over the last fifty-five years and . ..”

“And?”

Smith dropped a small but thin and long light gray laser pistol to the table with a clatter.

“I have always kept it on me for emergencies;” Smith listed. “my enemies, intruders, or one of our nasty adversaries seeking retribution.”

“And?” Will asked. 

“I have a instant ride to the grounds of the Jupiter 2,” Smith’s tone carried sincereness that indicated no lie was coming from him so Will lowered his skeptical brow. “And I mean instant. No lagging, no buffering, no traffic.”

Then his wallet was dropped to the table. Smith took out a small card out of it and slipped it into his breast pocket to the tweed jacket. He slid out a drawer, slipped out a large box then tilted it open, and retrieved several pieces of jewelry dropping each piece into his pant pockets. A handkerchief was put into his breast pocket to the tweed jacket, a black denture container, a swiss army knife, a new pocket watch, sunglasses, reading glasses, and a ID card. 

“Turn the lights off before you join me,” Smith said. “I would not like the electric bill to be left on for nights at a time like last time.”

“You’re not going with me, Doctor Smith,” Then Will chuckled. “You are a little too old for that.”

Smith grew livid, insulted, for a single moment turning toward Will then his eyelids fell. 

“This was for the event that there are other interested people who like to escape Earth and make a distressing situation happen a second time for you,” Smith said. “And also I was intending to be a instructor on how to evade all the security." Will paled as he listened to the elderly man. "But now, you’ve changed my mind on that subject.” 

“But, you have a life,” Will said. “You can’t just get up and leave it with your affairs not in order.”

“Don’t concern yourself, I had just cleaned out the fridge before you came in the event of last time happening after hearing the Jupiter 2 was taken out of the museum even properly restored and updated for her new maiden voyage."

Smith explained to the younger man, quite arrogant, as the younger man was quickly processing the older man's words and the implication. “My affairs have been in order for the last few precious years.”

Will smiled.

"Doctor Smith, I have missed you since. . ." Will admitted.

"Since when, my dear boy?" Smith lifted a brow.

"Since you left." Will said.

Smith frowned at the younger man's delivery as both eyebrows were raised.

"Bah hum bug!" Smith walked around the younger man. "I never left!"

“How long?” Will asked. 

“A long time,” Smith said. 

“When did you start?” Will asked. 

“Soon as I couldn’t get my leg from out of the electric car,” Smith said. “Soon as I cracked my head open with a simple fall, tripped and fell dislocating a socket, had to get dentures, needed to get powerful prescription glasses, fell down the stairs and couldn’t get up for days unable to be found until the elevators didn’t work.” His eyes glanced over toward the chair aimed at the doorway. “I have been expecting my old employers to appear all night . . . “

“Explains the chair and the laser pistol,” Will said. 

“Oh, the pain!” Smith clasped a hand on his forehead, dramatically, his head lifted up toward the ceiling displaying his feelings over the matter. He walked toward the freezing tube set against the wall then turned toward Will before stressing the matter even further. “The financial pain the electricity bill wrought upon me!”

Smith vanished in a golden light before Will’s eyes. 

“He never mentioned in our emails about having a working maser beam generator that didn’t need to be set outside. . .” Will noted. 

Will shook his head then turned of all the lights and took one last look of civilization. He put his electronics on the table including his wallet keeping only what he needed. He took off his ankle holster and gun waist holster. They all landed to the table with a thud that was heavy. It sounded heavier to Will because it was a weight. It was a weight of adulthood and a piece of civilization when one too many people were around and people interested in doing anything in getting their hands on a robotics expert.

“How did he skim it past security. . .” Will wondered to himself then walked on into the tube and turned around to face the dark interior of the apartment. 

Will’s surroundings changed from a apartment into the familiar desert scenery with dead patches of grass and Smith crouching below a ledge. Will crouched then followed after the elderly man’s beckoning. They scurried through the surroundings going along carefully yet silently among the night. Smith went into a tunnel and Will followed him in vanishing into the pitch black. 

They moved through the dark tunnel moving through it heading into the dark. Will felt Smith’s hand fumble along then grasp and yank him forward. The men traveled through the mountain of rock then arrived to the landing pad out of the tunnel as the dark lit up before their very eyes side by side. They made their way toward the tall support towers then Smith was the first to climb up them using the protruding stumps out of the side with immense speed. Will laughed, looking up, then grinned chasing after him. He increased his speed and dodged every row of light beam. 

Smith was silent compared to the chuckling younger man. Smith came to the top then pressed on the emergency airlock door and the second door opened letting him through inside. Will joined his side with a stumble then Will made sure the doors closed behind them. They slowly peeked out the front windows then stepped back once the light was about to pass over them. Once the light was gone, the men walked forward. 

“Being here again. ..” Will looked down the window. “It’s strange.”

“Last time I was here,” Smith said looking on cradling his hands. “I was young and resilient.”

“You can stay, Doctor Smith.” Will looked down toward the older man. “Space will be harder on you than it was before.”

“Hmmph,” Smith grunted. “Space has to be prepared for me, my dear boy.” he turned his attention on to Will with a smile.

“Are you going to come down?”

“In a moment,” His smile faded. “Just a moment to gather my bearings. We may never see this planet in the future." Will somberly reflected over that as Smith continued to speak with a shrug. "Might as well take in the view.”

“Okay, Doctor Smith.” Will said then went into the elevator car. 

The elevator car rolled down with a single press of his click then he rolled the barrier aside once reaching the deck then pressed the button up. He watched the elevator car vanish before his eyes back up to the conn. He turned away from the empty elevator then turned in the direction of Robot. Will smiled, staring toward Robot, that turned into a grin. He walked on toward Robot then turned off the power generator. The glass generator slid up then Robot bobbed his helm up turning toward Will. 

“DESTROY!” Robot extended his claws out. 

Will remained where he stood with his hands clasped together with a smile that radiated of peace. 

“Is that what you say to your best friend after fifty-two years apart?” Will asked. 

“Will!” Robot whirred toward Will then lowered his claws and his helm lowered as well. “Why—my old buddy!” His helmet bobbed up then lowered. “You have grown since we last met.”

"You know Robot after all these years you look really good," Will said. 

"It's amazing what a can of paint and a little 40 weight can do!" Robot replied. 

"Do you ever miss the good old days?" Will started. "Hurtling through space aboard the Jupiter 2?" 

"Space travel I miss,” Robot admitted. “Doctor Smith; I do not!" 

The elevator finished rolling down the deck, the barrier was slid aside, then Smith came toward the two.

"I heard that," Smith approached the duo. "Mind your manners and keep your friends!” 

"I still can't believe you two are still at it,” Will said, incredulously. “It's been 55 years!"

"He started it," Robot said. 

"Did not!" Smith protested.

"Did too!" Robot whirred toward the older man who yanked out the power pack and his figure slouched. 

"Winning for fifty-five years and counting!” Smith wiggled the power pack with a grin. 

“Doctor Smith,” Will said, exasperated. “That stopped being funny a long time ago.”

Smith raised his brows momentarily then lowered the power pack. 

“Turns out some habits die hard,” Smith shrugged sheepishly then reattached the power pack to Robot’s chassis. “Another accusation and that power pack will never find its way on to your cylinder tin can!”

“I can believe that,” Robot whirred toward Will. “Why do you ask about the old days?”

Will folded his arms. 

“We are going to get lost,” Will said. “On purpose.”

“On purpose!” Robot’s head bobbed up. “This does not compute!”

Will winced. 

“It doesn’t at first from a outsider’s perspective. . .” Will said. 

“We went through three years just trying to get Alpha Centauri.” Robot said. “It was a pure chance that we found a way back.”

“It is just us, Robot,” Will said. “Doctor Smith, me, and you.”

Robot whirred from side to side then lowered his head. 

“This computes,” Robot said. “Doctor Smith, Will, this ship has freezing pods—“

“That is where you are being a big ninny all over again!” Smith cut Robot off. “Freezing tubes be damned for all we care.”

Robot bobbed his helm up. 

“At your age!” Robot announced, alarmed. “This is worrisome.”

“Doctor Smith may not be in the ideal condition to go out there,” Will said. “I am not a little kid anymore. But, it is the best time to have the last and best adventure of our lives.”

“William, you are not that old.”

“Someone once told me not to grow up too fast,” Will reminded. “I never did grow up. Did I?”

“Indeed.” Smith said. “We have changed since then.”

“We’ve changed and grown from then.” Will agreed. “This time, we are ready for what space has to offer unlike last time.”

“However, unexpected it may be,” Smith agreed. “Such as now.”

“The ship will be launching in two minutes.” Robot said. 

“Okay, Robot.” Will said. “After you, Doctor Smith.”

“I would be honored.” Smith grinned then bolted toward the chair and strapped himself in. 

“At least you’re leaving Earth not alone.” Will said. 

“William.”

“Yes?”

“Launching at this G-Level won’t be like launching from the planets we used to be on.”

“Doctor Smith, my mind is resilient." Will reminded. "Just like my first stress test with you."

“Launching in five seconds.” Robot announced.   
  
Will and Smith exchanged a smile then a nod and faced toward the auxiliary window for a few moments. Smith went up to the back followed by the younger man, quickly strapping themselves in, and waited for the flight. 

"Five seconds, huh?" Will chuckled.

"More like five minutes!" Smith laughed.

"Did it feel this way the first time?" Will asked.

"Without the time travel?" Smith looked toward the younger man then nodded. "It did."

With great power, the ship flew into the sky leaving behind the fabric of civilization and a comfortable life behind them. Will gripped one to the arm rest of the chair as he cheered, loudly, pinned against the chair as Smith squeezed his eyes shut in a moment of complete terror that controlled him. The Jupiter 2 flew into space and broke orbit with Earth fleeing into the unknown. Will unbuckled himself as zero gravity kicked in.

"William, turn on the artificial gravity!" Smith cried.

"Working on it!"

Will flung himself forward as Smith remained seated in the chair then came to the conn and pressed the button. He crashed then got up to his feet using the console to help himself up. Will looked on toward the vastness of space, eyes full of awe, intrigue, and wonder, and just as full of that explorer streak that was always in him. Will slid the level forward then the ship arrived in a different section of space that was familiar to him. Just on the edge of space that their ship had been and the other edge was unaccounted for. Between that rested a planet resting in the unknown.

"Perfect."

Will set in the course for the planet then determined the time to be.

"Just be one hour of flight then we land. Wow, this admiral had a lot of fuel added. Got enough for a easy landing!"

Will looked back up toward the console with his hands on his hips.

"Doctor Smith, we'--" Will turned. "Doctor Smith?"

Will went toward the ladder then climbed down with precision until he were on the residential deck. He fled on toward Smith who's figure was slumped in the chair with Robot resting beside him.

"Will. . ." Robot started.

"What is wrong with him?" Will asked.

"According to my medical sensors, he has had a stroke."

"What? Since when?"

"Last week."

"That's why he had his . . . he knew it! He knew he didn't have much time left!" It dawned on him. "That's why he wanted to go back out there."

"He did not believe it were to happen here."

"It's been fifty-five years since we went into space! Medicine has improve--"

"You do not need to argue with me, Will. The only one you are arguing against is yourself."

Will bolted over toward the lab then took out the square object painted with the med kit symbol. He sorted through the files by name until he paused at the lettering 'Nanobots' appear in his line of vision. He picked up the file along with the material material full of nanobots then assembled it with a needle at the end of it rushing back over to the older man and quickly read through the health warnings. He took off the container around the needle then slid the sleeve up, wrapped a cord around the man's elbow, jabbed it into Smith's elbow and injected it inside.

"You have successfully interjected him with the beta program of life extension nanobots, Will." Robot replied as Will checked the man's pulse then relaxed with a smile. "This may result in appearing to be younger and living longer."

Once done, Will withdrew the needle.

"I am not letting Doctor Smith go so easy." Will said. "If he lives a additional ten years and dies by natural causes then that the way it has to be."

"His lifespan has--"

The ship was flung sideways and Will was flung away with a screech.

"Danger! Danger!"

Will crashed along the other side of the ship then his figure slumped.

"DANGER!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited further, removed 'in five years' mainly because I had put that in to make a scene break and then I decided otherwise after trying that. Forgot to remove that bit. Also corrected the amount of time they've been exchanging emails from 55 to 52 as they spent three years in space.


	2. The smitheerened craft

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WATCH ME MAKE A STORY WITH SILLY STRING. I know I am not going to finish this story during the anniversary but I know I am going TO MAKE THIS SUCKER SHORT BEFORE THE LAUNCH OF STARSHIPSN8'S 20KM HOP.

"Unknown spacecraft has come into our territory." announced the astronavigator, Kalis.

Aklana stared upon the radar screen then looked upon the officer.

"Hail the ship." Aklana requested.

"Yes, my lord." Kalis replied.

"If the ship does not reply, Lieutenant Varu, attack it." Aklana ordered the officer alongside her. "we need it defenseless if we are to return it and show that we are not to be toyed with."

"Yes, my lord." Varu replied.

Lord Aklana approached the large screen waiting for the officer to inform them of any word.

"Lord, there is no reply from the newcomers." Kalis replied after a long moment.

Varu stared at the screen.

"Attack it." Aklana replied.

The officer of the lasers department applied their fingers on the set of buttons then pressed them. Lasers came flying out of the space craft. Aklana watched the ship float off from the station of placement where it were being attacked. It shook from side to side in a wobbled sort of way. The saucer abruptly gained traction flying away toward the nearby planet.

"Where are they going?" Aklana asked.

"They are going to the nearby planet Afterush." Varu said. "The rate that they are going indicates they will land in twelve minutes."

Aklana grimaced.

"That planet is nearly out of my line of territory." Aklana said.

Aklana turned giving it some careful thought.

"Inform me of their status. I will need be in the hydroponic dome."

Aklana departed the bridge leaving Varu and Kalis.

* * *

Robot directed the ship to a graceful landing. His bobbed helmet lowered then he returned to the lower deck and picked up Will's figure then moved him into his cabin. Smith was moved to a separate cabin as well then waited for the men to awaken as he kept watch over the area. Sure enough, a few hours later up came Will rubbing the back of his head.

"How did we land, Robot?"

"There was no damage to the landing gear."

"And the source of our danger?"

"There is very little signs they followed the Jupiter 2 down."

"Did you recognize the ship?"

"Negative. It wasn't in any of my memory banks."

"So, how big was it? Prison ship?"

"Affirmative."

"That's a big ship." Will rubbed his chin.

"I detected many lifeforms." Robot's helm and antennas twirled. "More than many ships we crossed paths with."

"How many lifeforms were there?" Will's curiosity was pegged.

"One hundred sixty." Robot reported.

Will looked out the window.

"One hundred sixty sounds to me the size of a small army." Will said. "Roughly the amount set in a submarine."

"Will, things are different in space than they were before."

"Course they are, Robot." Will said. "This time, I know just the way to dismantle their attempts at winning."

"What is the plan?"

Will smirked looking upon the machine.

"Throw at them Doctor Smith every step of the way." Will said. "Robot, how would you say to being used like a servant by--"

"No!"

"We have to--"

"I prefer to do it on my own will."

"Robot, there is some plausible deniability for me _and_ you."

"Plausible deniability." Robot replied. "After all these years, it comes off differently. Plausible deniability when I hear it is Doctor Smith insisting that he cannot lie."

"That is implausible deniability." Will snorted at the comment. "For me and you, it would be enough to say that it wasn't your decision. Someone else made it for you." Will gestured toward the lower half of the machine where the reprogramming controls were located with a hand. "So if they are angry and we are in the wrong; neither of us will face the consequences."

"But Doctor Smith will." Robot said, darkly.

Will became quiet thinking it over then nodded.

"We will get him out of it, God willing, Doctor Smith knocking out someone by accident, or Doctor Smith screaming in a way that whoever faces him faints." Will replied as he smacked a hand against the center of his palm with a look of resolve. "So they wouldn't suspect us of trying to sabotage their plans intentionally."

"And escape from them."

"Yeah." Will nodded

"That is riding on a lot of faith." Robot noted.

Will smiled back at his old friend.

"That's what we did in the first maiden voyage." Will reminded.

"A lot of it." Robot noted.

"Which means we'll have to get the drilling started if we are to make a quick escape from them after ruining their day." Will grimaced contemplating over the length of time it would take. "If they are bad, then it is all justified." he shrugged the issue over then frowned. "If they're actually good people then I will apologize to them."

"And this all hinges on Doctor Smith reprogramming me." Robot said.

"Yes."

"What if he doesn't?" Robot asked, concerned.

Will looked at Robot, incredulous.

"Robot, do you know who you're talking about?"

"I do." His helmet twirled. "Doctor Smith is different from the man that he was before." Will looked back at how young, able, and resilient they all were in the beginning and how time had taken their toll upon them. "He cannot risk confrontations with a risk such as that."

"Faced with aliens, he shrieks, gets terrified, and paranoid. If I am wrong about them being kind, then we have a back up plan. He is the kind of person to bet on."

Robot bobbed his helm down.

"He is the kind of person to bet on, but he is a terrible passenger."

The door to the hallway opened.

"William, I saw that we were on land! BLUE SKY! Desert far as the eye can see! CLEAR BREATHABLE AIIIR!"

"Someone is chipper today." Will said, fondly.

"It feels good to be on a less polluted planet." Smith grinned in response. "Is the oxygen. . . ."

"Breathable." Robot finished. "My external sensors have yet to confirm that. I must perform a field test."

Will went to the side cubby along the entrance of the ship then returned, handing Robot a radio, and a nod.

"I will turn the stairs into a platform."

"Thank you, Will."

Robot went down to the lower deck of the ship.

"Ah, just like the old days, isn't it, William?" Smith asked.

Will looked toward Smith with a smile as he put a hand on the side of his hip.

"Already feels like not a day has passed." Will said. "One day . . . When this last adventure comes to a end, how about we go to Tauron?"

Smith smiled then nodded back.

"It sounds to me a brilliant idea." Then Smith grimaced. "If we are lucky enough to face what strange weather this planet may have."

Smith leaned forward, peering out the ship, his eyes trained on the sky.

"I hope there isn't a cosmic storm." Will admitted.

"William, wasn't the cosmic storms your favorite part?" Smith asked.

"First of all, you nearly lost your life during them forever, and second of all, I don't really like cosmic storms at all." Will counted the instances on his fingers.

Smith squinted back at Will and puckered his lips,

"You say that you miss space but this says a entire different thing." Smith pointed out.

"Technically, a cosmic storm happens planet side." Then Will meekly shrugged, grinning, sheepishly. "In my experience."

"Your experience is incredibly lacking in more than just a few days of staying on a planet." Smith said. "That was the unpleasant part of the voyage, I understand, but for the future; William, it'll be a lot more fun if you embrace that aspect."

Will had a short laugh.

"I will try, Doctor Smith."

"Robot to Jupiter 2, report." sizzled from the comn.

"What is it, Robot?" Will asked.

"The oxygen level is acceptable for human and wildlife. I have even detected that we are nearby a blueberry bush field."

"Blueberries!" Smith exclaimed. "William, I will collect the basket!" he turned away then made a mad dash for the doorway ."BLUEBERRIES!" he applied a finger to a button then the door opened. "BLLLUUEEEBERRIES! Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllddd blueeebeeerriiess!"

Smith made a mad dash for the lower deck so Will laughed.

"Just like the good old days." Will said with a shake of his head.

* * *

From above within a ship in space, Aklana, was resting in a bench eating a basket of strawberries mixed with grapes and carrots. Each piece of the basket was vital and important pieces of her life just as a ordinary beings life that was focused on eating nutrition food.

It was one of the most important pieces that kept her going from day to day without using the pieces of technology that drove expenses up on her world instead of improving it and left them heavily in debt. She smiled, admiring the fine piece of creation. It was hers to have and to hold and to share and she kept it all to herself.

"My lord!"

Aklana looked toward the lower ranked officer.

"What is it?" Aklana asked. "Is this about the star war that I am winning?"

The lower ranked officer shook his head.

"There are two lifeforms and one machine aboard the ship. Ship registers the machine was the one that provided the landing."

"They have a Robotoid then?"

The lower ranked officer grimaced.

"Sensors indicated it was not, my lord."

Aklana frowned.

"What then was it?"

The lower ranked officer was reluctant to say.

"It is primitive."

"How primitive?" Aklana asked.

"Records indicate this level of technology is expected from Earthlings."

"Earthlings." Aklana said. "They broke through the warp drive barrier, have they not?"

"My lord, they have received nuclear power. It isn't quite yet they have broken through to regular space travel."

"But. . . they have colonized outside of their cradle." Aklana observed.

"Yes, my lord."

Aklana considered for a moment, then smiled from corner to corner as a idea settled into her mind. It was going to take gambling, a lot of parting, and perhaps some heart ache along the way gaining more power. A relatively young species that weren't familiar to her reign was going to be facing her own, quite soon. And the plan that had to be taken down into pieces started with a few characters that lead to the assimilation, conquering, and downfall of a new civilization.

* * *

The Chariot rolled through the scenery with Robot between Smith and Will. Smith held the basket full of berries popping one at a time into his mouth. At the back of the Chariot was precious equipment for a duetroniun drilling rig that was all packed up into small boxes. It was getting late into the night as they got further and further away from the Jupiter 2 when Robot announced close to nine thirty-five that they had gotten close to a river of duetronium. 

"Doctor Smith, we're here---"

Smith was snoring away in his seat slouched jerking half-awake. 

"No need to fear, there isn't any deer!" and fell back asleep.

Will smiled, looking toward the resting older man, then quietly got out of the seat and went out the side.

Robot and Will set up the drilling rig then returned into the Chariot and made their way back.

* * *

Robot was the first of them to return into the Jupiter 2 on, turn the heater on, the artificial lights then dim them down, and turn on the clothing synthesizer. Will was the first of them to change out of clothing of the day and drop it on to a chair as he changed into his pajamas. Smith required some help changing into his night clothing; most importantly, it was the part in unbuttoning his uniform. The mere long white comfortable fuzzy onesie was easy to get on and quickly retreated into the cabin. 

The lights of the upper deck were turned off. Robot set the old clothing into the laundry machine. With that, the advanced environmental robot relaxed his memory tapes then began to put on his resting system. It didn't last long. A loud boom awoke the machine from the small two hour of rest that felt like it had only been five minutes. Smith and Will arrived to the side of the door quite alarmed by the noise.

"Booby, go out and determine what is out there!" Smith requested, trembling, frightened.

"No, Robot, stay behind." Will brandished a laser pistol. "I will check it out."

"Will, you're talking with a bed head." Robot reminded. "With a head like that, your thinking is compromised. We do not know what animals lurk at night on this world."

"Actually, no. I have clear head." Will said. "I can do with two hours of sleep with danger on the horizon."

Will went down the stairs with a laser pistol holster and the laser pistol in one hand.

"Be careful!" Smith cried. "Oh dear, oh dear, first night and we have attracted the wrong kind of attention! Oh pray to the lord," he cupped his hands together, looking up, frightened. "That He decides to spare his smallest creation."

"You are not small."

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"I am shorter than you, so I am small."

Robot was silenced by the reminder as his advanced sensors scanned him and his helm bobbed up. 

"You're right." Robot said, reluctantly.

"And so I am!" Smith said, proudly but very full of himself.

The door opened with Will coming in.

"Doctor Smith, get the med kit! We got some injured people out back!" Will announced drawing the attention of the duo. "And I need some help lifting them back to the ship."

"Our dear friend shall supply his strength!" Smith announced as he gestured toward the machine. "As he has so kindly done in the past."

Smith made a bolt for the medical kit.

"How many people are there?" Robot asked.

"Six." Will replied. "Four of them are alive, the last two were dead when I got there."

"Sounds to me that we may have a terrible night upon us." Smith said, somberly. "William, direct us to the patients!"

Will bolted down the stairs with Smith close behind him. The stairs turned into a ramp for Robot then the machine rolled down following after the men as his sensors adjusted to the darkness of the planet. Robot and Smith was lead to a burning site that stood out against the darkness very well with the flames brewing off the trees and pieces of scrap metal covered in fire that refused to go out. Smith came to the side of the survivors and checked for their wounds then did what he could using the most basic and reliable equipment that he were familiar with.

The wounds were halted with cotton balls, long fabric, and for the severe; they were halted all together by a strange device that stopped the bleeding all together. Aklana was among them in a tree with wounds of her own watching the events transpiring below her. Aklana was covered in scrapes, bruises, with a few wounds at her legs from falling into the tree that were numb for the time being. Any time that she attempted to speak only nothing came out. She fell in and out of consciousness with each passing hour as member by member of the survivors were guided away from the crash site.

She came to, this time face to face with a smiling man flying in mid air with a jet pack.

"Don't move, we're going to get you out."

Aklana tried to move her mouth but nothing came out.

"Doctor Smith, you have to come up and cut her down!"

"But my dear boy, it is too far up!"

"We have to help her!"

"If you so insist, come down."

She watched the man come down then return in a haze with the older man wrapped around his foot -- who was shrieking in fear -- like a frightened cat. Smith climbed on to the edge of a tree and gained his balance then gulped down his fear. Slowly, but with care, he approached her then took out a long silver string and dug it into the tree branch one by one until it were splintering. Aklana shrieked with her renewed sense of speaking.

"I got you!"

Will caught her into his arms.

"Relax, you're going to be okay in just a few moments!"

Aklana was drapped in his arms as he turned away then made a run for the Jupiter 2.

"Booby, HEEEELP!"

"I am making the ladder fast as I can, Doctor Smith." Came the deep but mechanical reply.

"I AM GOING TO DIEEEE! IT'S GOING TO CRACK, OH DEAR, HELP MEEEEE!"

The next that she knew as the voice became so distant that she lost track of it; was that everything had become significantly brighter. It was a complete bright eye sore color full of gold, brown, blue, and gray as she closed her eyes with a wince. She heard the sound of a door closing then set on to a bed. When she opened her eyes, she spotted the same red head from earlier with the older man by his side now dressed in a red matching gown and a red strange hat.

"Doctor Smith, why are you wearing a lobster costume?" Will was at a loss of words by his question.

"It makes the blood that much easier to blend in!" Smith nodded, intently, assured. "It'll become a fad on Earth!" he held a hand up. "I know that it shall!"

"Good luck with the patient." Will made a bolt out of the room.

"Thank you." Smith replied.

Smith turned away and slowly approached Aklana.

"You have to be under for awhile. Your legs are mangled, horrible, and very painful, " he held a triangle device above her. "If you look at it; you will feel the pain. . . oh, the pain. . ." Smith shook his head with a frown. "The pain is a disgrace."

The old man looked sinister to her as he loomed over, dressed in a lobster costume and all, then applied the device to her nose.

And Aklana fell into the comforting dark depths of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely tried to make it silly and serious to the BEST of my ability in the best LiS way that it could.
> 
> 3k, go me! 5K 1st chapter, time to make myself something above 3k, hopefully! i have a pre-written very short scene ahead to get to AND CONNECT TO and expand upon. May take 2 or 3 additional chapters.
> 
> That short scene was, yes, part of the general same idea that proto chapter 1 was part of.


	3. Physcian, report thyself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH OR GOD SO HELP ME.

Aklana was the first of the small group to awaken in the Jupiter 2 with a groan. Her eyes searched around the environment quickly adjusting to the change of darkness. Her entire body was aching and she still felt very tired. The lights came on in the small room then the same figure as before loomed over her but lacking in red and dressed in a all white fuzzy onesie.

"Hello, I am Doctor Zachary Smith, your physician." Smith introduced himself then bore a small smile that faded into concern. "How are you feeling?"

"Very tired." Aklana replied.

"So you should be." Smith said.

"I am Aklana." She held a hand out.

Smith took her hand.

"Alkana?" Smith asked.

"No, Aklana." They shook hands as Smith frowned, quite puzzled.

"Then why do you say it as Alkana?"

The younger woman smiled back, sweetly, at the innocent reply.

"That is just how it is pronounced." Aklana replied.

"The ache and phantom pains will be very hard on you." Smith changed the subject.

"Phantom pains?"

Smith withdrew the blanket.

"Your body fought to hang on for long as it could. . . But I had to remove a foot."

"My foot?" Aklana looked over, horrified. "No!"

"I was able to save your knees by injecting medicine that regrew the cartilage." Smith said, helpfully.

"What about my feet?"

"Madame, your foot -- not your feet -- was too horrifically damaged by the crash. Too burned, to crisp, too many parts were severed to that foot."

Aklana paused then looked up toward him.

"Then give me a wooden leg."

"Pardon me?"

"I want a wooden leg."

"Madame, what is the point?"

"The aesthetic would be better than missing just a foot."

"Right it would but your leg is fine."

"Below the knee."

"No."

"I insist!"

"Not unless you have felt this your entire life then I can't do that."

Aklana propped herself up then folded her arms.

"You make a hard bargain." Aklana noted.

"There is no bargaining when it comes to medical care and the well being of the patient." Smith glared upon the younger woman.

"What world are you from?"

"Earth, the solar system. Yours?"

"Mavanna, The Maveriks system."

"So very simple and to the point."

"Thank you. How much rest do I need?"

"Lots of it. Your body is covered in bruises."

"I was thrown around before the crash." Aklana winced. "What about the others?"

"Two of them didn't make it." Smith said, somberly.

"Oh . ." Aklana became saddened. "I lost some."

"Your silence has told me you haven't felt the need to remove your leg not even for the fraction of a second even for a joke." She froze as her heart raced, terrified, sweat poured down her skin as he continued speaking. "It is imperative that you keep your leg and gently shove your anger at losing a leg into the nearest trash can."

Aklana looked up in alarm toward Smith who only kept talking.

"I have done some measurements before the amputation." Smith finished, gently. "So in a week you shall have a prosthetic foot that is just as good as the foot that you used to have."

"Thank you, Doctor." Aklana thanked.

"When you're feeling well, you can attend their burials." Smith replied. "We have them in a room that has been reformatted as the morgue."

"Appreciated."

"Good."

"How wounded are the others?"

"Recovering well, resting now, the incident took a equal toll on everyone. Two of them are fine, the other two, they are worse than you are."

"How worse?"

"One of them is wheelchair bound and the other . . . and the other . . . the other . . . They must have been up front when the incident occurred; the pilot lost his hands in large part to the fire and most of his face has scars. Lots of them."

Aklana considered the report then nodded. 

"Is there any food blocks?" Aklana asked. 

Smith grinned then revealed from behind his back a tray with pudding.

"I come to serve, Aklana." Smith replied, leaning forward, smiling as he arched over her figure.

Aklana took the tray and set it into her lap as Smith sat down into the chair across from her. 

"What kind of lobster were you wearing earlier?" Aklana asked.

"Oh, my costume? It's a lobster." Smith replied. "I put it on as protection gear."

Aklana frowned.

"Don't you have medical gear?" Aklana asked, bewildered.

"The costume synthesizer malfunctioned and---well. . ." Smith grimaced. "I can't admit I did not intend for it!"

Aklana laughed for a long moment as she ate the pudding.

"Yes, but what kind of lobster are you dressed up as?"

"Earthling."

"Aren't lobsters. . ." She puckered her lips. "darker?"

Smith nodded.

"And black, yes." Smith replied.

"And sparkly?"

"Glitter?" Smith raised his brows.

"No, sparkly."

Smith's hands were in his lap as he smiled.

"That's a space lobster, my dear Aklanda." Smith replied.

"Aklana." Aklana corrected then smirked at his slip up. "It'll be our little secret."

"Indeed." Smith bore a small nod. "Have you seen a crab from Tauron?"

"Yes."

"Nasty and sneaky creatures they are." Smith said. "Do you have a secret about them? I know very little about Tauron lobster?"

"They're sparkly. Silver, glowing, two large pincers on each side, one large eye, and covered in spikes. . . spikes that resemble rattles."

"And?"

"I love them very much. Can't stand the killing of them. Innocent little creatures. But, no one knows that and if anyone knew then I would be completely at a disadvantage."

"That will be our little secret." Smith replied.

"Did you put anything in this?" Aklana lifted a brow.

"I did not." Smith replied. "In the other bowl is broth, there is some packaged crackers and packaged slice of butter if you so desire." he gestured toward the plate. "Robot shall come in and take the plate once you have finished." Smith got back up to his feet. "I have some precious beauty sleep to attend!"

Smith made his way out of the room closing the door behind him as Aklana laughed, shaking her head, throwing her head back at the amusing elderly man. Eventually, Aklana ceased to laugh then began to continue eating from the tray. She made a careful note to tell her findings to the survivors of the well intended accident. 


	4. Discussions of importance as the rate and change of events

Three days passed with the aftermath of the unexpected crash and the newcomers that rested and recovered from their ordeal while Will, Doctor Smith, and Robot spent those following days enjoying the weather during a hike going on a rock hunting collection with Aklana -- the most visibly awake member of the survivors-- as their judge. Aklana was at a loss of words for being looked toward by two completely strange members of the Earthling species.

She would peer out the edge of her doorway and watch them late at night playing a game of chess when a nightmare had awakened her. Smith was waiting impatiently for the younger man to make his move who was considering his move and the machine was snoring away between them in front of the small square table. She didn't know when they returned to rest but the crash bothered them plain as day with their yawning during the games. Sounds that came from outside made Smith look out toward the window from time to time looking out for flames and smoke in the distance ahead of the Jupiter 2 and jump a meter or two above the chair.

It was all part of a activity that hadn't happened often.

Regardless, they seemed to enjoy the game with the sounds of their laughter.

* * *

"Can't we make the new uniforms for ourselves?" Smith asked after breakfast on the fourth day.

Will grimaced.

"No." Will said. "It isn't quite possible at the moment."

"Why not?" Smith asked.

"We used all the color on the uniforms for the survivors, Doctor Smith." Will replied.

"All five of them?" Smith's brows rose at once.

"Your lobster uniform used most of the red." Will reminded.

"Oh dear, we need to go scavenge." Smith touched his lips turning away from the younger man looking on toward the outside. "I expected that we would need to do that much later."

"And plant some cotton seeds in hydroponics." Will said.

"How long does it take to grow them again?" Smith asked.

"One hundred fifty days." Robot announced.

"Let's go fishing!" Will announced as set his plate into the dishwasher and Smith did the same.

"Yes!"

Smith followed the younger man's lead to the cargo bay and helped him gather the material that was needed to do what they had done only so many years ago. Smith paused as he held the fishing rods admiring them as fond memories crossed his mind on the grainy piece of memory that still felt clear and vivid as it had been when he had experienced. Will retrieved a bucket then joined with Smith leaving the room.

"Robot, can you electrocute the ground and get us some worms?" Will asked.

"Affirmative." Robot replied.

The duo went down the ramp of the Jupiter 2 then the back end of the ship lowered and the Chariot rolled down automatically then rolled along to up front before the two men. One of the survivors of the crash landing were wide awake, Vaslas, looking out their doorway watching the men board the Chariot with a few grumble and the vehicle roll away. Vaslas made a bolt for Aklana's room then slid the door open. 

Aklana was set against her side snoring away with a table that had a folded set of clothing that was vibrant and dark. Carefully, with the side of his arms, he moved the door aside with little noise. Vaslas's lord looked peaceful; too peaceful. The mere sight was quite alarming from the normally tortured older woman in a state of rest and it didn't feel right seeing her in bliss with his eyes. Vaslas entered the room in a silent moment of concern.

"My Lord?"

Aklana was stirred awake by the shake of a hand.

"My Lord!" Came the shout.

Aklana's eyes snapped open at the sound of alarm from her royal subject.

"I am awake, Commander Vaslas." Aklana said. Aklana brought herself half way up. "Which one of the crew was paralyzed?"

Vaslas grimaced before telling his lord.

"Nazvuraz." Vaslas said.

"The most skilled infiltrator?" Aklana asked, shocked.

"He is locked in his own body, not paralyzed." Vaslas replied. "They lied."

"That is very unfortunate." Aklana said, somberly. "Who did we lose?"

"From what I could tell; you lost Mazur and Vaellick." Vaslas reported. "The younger members of the force aren't quite ready for this task."

"We brought them here to be expandable assets to cloud the invasion force's intentions." Aklana said as she grimaced over the matter.

"Aklana, if we had brought two young servants then that would have been cloud enough."

"My interest in family is non-existent." Aklana hissed. "I _failed_ at maternal classes; horribly. Get Vuro and Ma'quo."

Vaslas nodded then departed the cabin only returning a few moments later with the young field officers, one of them was nineteen and the other was sixteen. Both of them were born and raised to save their lord and savior, Aklana, one of the most skilled and powerful lords all over her world. She smiled seeing how well they looked and quite unharmed by the event that had spelled certain disaster for the plan. Vuro was the sixteen year old boy and Ma'quo was the nineteen year old pretty fair woman with naturally curly hair.

"Our hosts are kind enough people to let us stay, innocent, and very naive." Aklana replied. "What is intended to be done has every intention of happening and they will bring us to their world with little arguments."

"And the mother ship, my lord?" Vuro asked.

"They will follow our general body signal to the coordinates of which Earth is located." Aklana said, quite smoothly. "Ma'quo, Vuro, you are to embed yourselves into the lives of the Earthlings; provide aid or be their protector so much that they wouldn't suspect you of anything."

"We will carry it out, my lord." Vuro promised.

"Seem through to the end." Ma'quo replied.

"The old Earthling is very fragile." Aklana said. "Pay little concern to him. He has no heed in our attention."

"Should we be weary of him?" Ma'quo asked, quite concerned. "The elders in the resistance were not so weak and slow to not warrant ours then."

"This is a Earthling." Aklana said with a laugh. "Not one of our own." She shook a hand so very amused by the concern that was voiced. "And our species naturally get stronger as we get older." She smiled shaking her head. "That is the perk that Earthlings do not share with us."

"What about the machine?" Vuro asked.

". . . The machine with the bubble head?" Ma'quo asked, terrified.

"That machine." Vaslas said. "Is a menace to the integrity of Robotoids."

"We think nothing of this subject around it." Aklana replied. "In the meanwhile, we learn as much as we can about this ship and how these Earthlings deal in a environment like this." She gestured toward the door with a slight motion of her head. "Depart my quarters."

Vuro and Ma'quo departed the cabin.

"My lord," Vaslas said. "These are young recently graduated cadets. Do you think they could work at short notice?"

Aklana glanced toward Vuro.

"At every part of my heart." Aklana said then smiled, arrogantly. "Because tactics like these work with the young and it works so very tragically well against innocent parties such as the ones out and about."

Vaslas nodded back at the comment.

"Yes, but, do we have a additional plan should it not work with the humans?"

"Do you doubt the one who freed our people from the one and true evil of this galaxy?" Aklana asked, alarmed.

"I do not." Vaslas assured.

"Then why do you have such doubt?" Aklana asked. "I can tell it in your voice."

"These humans survived in space for three years before they came back to their solar system." Vaslas began to explain. "They halted colonizing, terraforming, conquering of worlds, destruction of androids, allowed the movement of androids receiving civil rights to gain traction--They are **legends** , my lord!" he shook his stumps with emphasis. "Legends of humans _in space_ rarely do not disappoint."

"They will leave disappointment now." Aklana said. "You, as well, leave." she motioned her hand toward the door of the room. "I need a little more rest."

And Vaslas did with little concern hanging over his head about his lord turning out to be wrong carefully closing the door with his stump. 

* * *

Robot provided care to the survivors of the crash and set up the field generator outside of the ship while the two older men were away on a little adventure. Robot turned off the light for the upper decks and unoccupied sections of the eighty foot craft. Once certain that everything was set up for the long fishing trip, Robot operated easy caring for the plants in the hydroponics with the water processing unit's long tube. 

Ma'quo peered out of the edge of the residential deck observing the machine watering the newly planted seeds. 

Robot twirled toward the young woman.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Robot asked, politely.

Ma'quo stood there unable to move from where she stood.

"Alpha Control has it recommended that a organic being does not waste their time watching a environmental machine operate." Robot replied.

Ma'quo was silent, clasping along the edge of the doorway, staring quite awkwardly back at the machine.

"Robotoids exist." Robot replied. "Yet, my existence still mesmerizes people. This does not compute."

Ma'quo cleared her throat then proceeded to speak.

"You are a simplistic piece of technology created by barbarians."

Robot's helm bobbed down.

"Aaah, there it is." Robot chuckled. "So you see my mold as mere connected string with coconuts, tin cans, functioned by old christmas lights acting as transistors, laser powered junk that destroys anything with a heat signature, and a old clock timer."

Ma'quo nodded.

"In that way; it is impressive." Ma'quo said, slowly parting from the edge of the corridor. "Your creators, what are they?"

"Human." Robot replied. "They are referred to by Earthlings by many galaxies."

Ma'quo paused two feet away from Robot.

"How do you keep going?"

"Before my departure from Earth, Alpha Control installed a new system in me."

"What kind of system."

"I am solar powered. I have back up solar generators installed all over should be without a source of light for a long period of time."

"I mean to ask, how did you keep going all those centuries ago?"

"Power packs were very handy when Doctor Smith sold my solar cells." Robot twirled away from her then resumed what he were doing. "Excuse me, I have watering duties to perform."

Ma'quo stepped back as Robot became engrossed into his task and returned into the Jupiter 2. When Robot turned away, he found that she were gone. Robot twirled back toward the hydroponics then twirled his helm. Robot put away the water processing equipment and returned into the Jupiter 2 seeking for the young woman but found her fast asleep in her bed. Robot closed the door and went about on his patrol duty.

* * *

It was early into the fifth day that the men returned with the chariot, tired, and exhausted. Vaslas listened to the sound of their footsteps enter into the ship, the sound of shuffling, their voices were soft and tired. He crept out of his sleeping bag then watched the elderly member slide open a door to the bathroom carrying a new change of clothes and crept inside then closed the door behind him as the gold light poured into the barely lit residential deck.

"Robot, could you prepare the fish for tomorrow?" Will asked.

"Affirmative."

"Doctor Smith and I are going to ask the survivors if they feel well enough to do some exploring." Will reported. "You can remain at the ship."

Robot's helm twirled.

"My mind wave equipment indicate they are very well enough to listen in on this discussion." Robot shifted toward Vaslas's cabin.

Vaslas quietly shut the door as Will turned toward the direction of the cabin.

"Hmm. . ." Will hummed as he turned his attention from the door. "Hope they're not scared of little old men."

"Will, you are not little according to my advanced sensors." Robot replied.

Will smiled, touched, by the reply of the silver machine.

"Robot, could you keep a secret?" Will asked.

"I always kept your secrets." Robot said.

Will patted on the side of Robot's chassis with a fond smile.

"My hopes is that we find danger." Will confided. "Some spice, some entertainment, some new novelty--don't mean to sound ungrateful, I do enjoy what we have been doing lately. . ."

"Your hopes of adrenaline aren't being fulfilled."

Will grimaced with a nod.

"No space bears out there, unfortunately."

Robot patted on Will's shoulder.

"Give it time, Will."

"Or space lizard bears." Will pouted as he folded his arms. "Why can't we see a giant lizard with bear fur?"

Robot laughed mechanically as the door to the bathroom opened with a great big sigh of relief.

"THAT was wonderful!" Smith exclaimed. "I feel so refreshed."

"Good, we're sleeping in the power core tonight." Will said.

"Oh, that place is so warm. I won't be able to sleep. We ought to install a heater or a ice cube down there!"

"In your dreams, Doctor Smith. We are not flooding the power core. We'll see about installing a fan."

Smith grinned then stepped aside and Will entered with his stash of clothes as the older man dropped his day wear into the basket. Robot went into the storage area as Smith waited in the dark for the younger man with many yawns. Will exited the bathroom then dropped the clothing into the basket with a yawn. Their attention were drawn by Robot who called for them from the elevator car then left. Vaslas had his back against the door as he slid down and quietly contemplated fresh with doubt of his lord's confidence in a easy to quash resistance. 


	5. Enjoy the weather and life to the fullest

Vuro was the first of the group to awaken, fully refreshed, and full of strength that hadn't fully returned the day before. Vuro admired himself with the clothing that he had put on after being awakened by Vaslas only what felt to be a eternity ago and exited the cabin with confidence on the events that were to transpire.

"Good morning."

The comment caused Vuro to leap turning toward the source of the tired voice.

"G'morning."

Smith smiled.

"Four days sleeping . . . That took a toll upon you." Smith grimaced. "Did I miss anything?"

"If you had, my body has already performed the necessary corrections." Vuro replied with a shake of his hand. "So, where is the shower?"

"This way." Smith pointed a finger in the direction of the bathroom.

"Thank you." Vuro smiled back, politely, then his features became etched in concern. "And is there---"

"Unfortunately not in the color that you like." Smith apologized then grimaced. "We got white. White. Veeery bright. A real eye sore."

"You leave that to me." Then Vuro grinned, his hands on his hips, lifting his chin up. "Fashion in my case isn't what everyone likes."

Smith winced, a memory crossed his mind of his android, then smiled reluctantly.

"Over here." Smith motioned a hand toward the synthesizer. "Input your measurements and the rest is yours."

In a few moments, Vuro had done it, and the young boy went into the bathroom as Smith watched on leaning against the counter of the lab. The older doctor sighed returning to the galley starting what he had only begun earlier preparing a meal for the others. Behind Smith; Vaslas (who had recently been given prosthetic hands), Ma'quo, and Aklana came from their cabins. The elevator car with Will came rolling up then the door was rolled aside.

"Good morning, Doctor Smith."

Smith smiled, shifting toward Will, waving the spatula.

"Good morning, my dear doctor!" Smith twirled the spatula with a grin then turned when the pan hissed. "Oh no, the waffle!"

Smith flipped the waffle into the air as the small group of people waited outside the room with their clothing in hand. The waffle flew over Will's head then crashed on to Aklana's head so she shrieked then proceeded to run with the rest of the small crowd just staring there watching her run around in circles. Robot quietly moved through the room then extracted the waffle and threw it back at the pan so Aklana tripped and fell crashing to the floor with a yelp.

Will was the first of the crowd to laugh then Smith followed. Vaskas followed the lead of the older man joining in the laughter so with that Ma'quo laughed. Will's hands were on his knees as his figure was shaking with laughter using the nearest wall as his support. Smith set the waffle on to his plate along with some portion of cracked eggs.

"We will be having breakfast outside at the table!" Smith announced.

* * *

One by one, members went and out of the shower until they were all fresh and down in some technicolor uniforms seated at the table outside of the ship with the two men. The table was set with napkins, plates, and glasses of milk with coconut shells set in a neat pile alongside the entrance way leading into the Jupiter 2 lacking their white interior. Aklana's eyes shifted from the coconut directly toward Vuro in a moment of confusion.

"Why is Vuro's uniform white when ours is in other colors?" Aklana asked.

"Making all the various uniforms; coats, pajamas, underwear really took a toll on the color synthesizer." Will replied. "This synthesizer is different from the one that was used when I was a kid."

"How is it?" Aklana asked.

"It came prepacked with colorful cotton." Will said.

"And?" Ma'quo raised her brows.

"Back when I was a kid, we had to _scavenge_ for plants that corresponded to the color that mom wanted to use for the uniforms." Will smiled, his hands clasped beneath his chin, looking back quite fondly. "Every year, we changed uniforms and had to do some scavenging for said plants. It was one of the best parts of being out there. Really made us go out there and have some fun."

"And the lizard bears that we crossed paths with were not too kind." Smith noted.

"So, why did you come here?" Vaslas asked.

"To have fun." Was Will's only comment.

"Indeed!" Smith said. "Then after we have our fill; we go to Alpha Centauri and visit the rest of the Robinsons!"

"Which should only be. . . what? . . ." Will looked toward Robot, considering, then back toward the crowd. "Five to twenty years away if we don't sleep the way back."

"They will be very boring years." Smith interjected.

"You don't know that, Doctor Smith." Will said.

"We had luck on our side, William." Smith reminded.

"We met these people." Will argued. "Still got it by the looks of it."

"Might not be lucky to catch unusual groups of people like those people who called themselves hippies." Smith said. The older man briefly smiled back at the memory that crossed his mind in how it became so amusing at the end even as a gift was lost. "Hopefully, we find some space hippies and smoke weed with them for a trip."

"Remember that one time you became a human version of the Incredible Hulk, Doctor Smith?" Will asked.

"That was the same incident where we met our first space hippies." Robot noted and Will chortled at that comment.

Members of the group stared at the older man for his unexpected expletive in the middle of eating.

"That was a dream." Smith replied.

"No, it wasn't." Robot said as Will shook his head rolling his eyes.

"Yes, it was." Smith insisted.

"That was not a dream, Doctor Smith!" Robot announced. "It was one of the unpleasing aspects of the voyage."

"A terrible nightmare." Smith amended.

"So, care to tell us what your ship was out for?" Will said. "If you don't like to talk about that. . ."

"I am the Ambassador from Mavanna." Aklana said. "My civilization has only recently gained warp drive."

"Oh." Will said. "So you're a diplomatic party."

"We are." Aklana confirmed.

"I am Doctor Will Robinson and this my friend," Will motioned toward Smith. "you may have already met him."

"Doctor Smith." Aklana said as a smile curled on her lips. "His skills in medicine are quite impressive."

"Impressive?" Smith put a hand on his chest between his meal quite flattered. "I am very deeply touched."

"So, the teenagers are yours, Miss Aklana?" Will asked.

"No, mine, Doctor Robinson." Vaslas said. "My children were being rebellious, earning felonies left and right, running away from home under the cover of night to do these activities."

Vaslas grimaced then looked toward Ma'quo and Vuro, Ma'quo folded her arms leaning back into the chair folding her arms and Vuro slouched playing with his fingers in his lap, then sighed.

"It was my belief that bringing them for this long mission might force them to learn what is worth rebelling for." Vaslas's voice lowered and a frown replaced the pout that were on his features. "Unfortunately, I have taken them into the area where that promotes this barbaric activity."

Smith eyed at the young members as Will looked toward Vaslas.

"No." Will said, confident. "It will only draw out their true nature. Not their worst."

"You don't know them, Doctor Robinson." Vaslas warned.

"Nobody knows themselves until they're put into the position that they are in now." Will said. "Once we get enough fuel drilled out of the deposit, I will have Robot put the coordinates into the ship and make the flight to Earth for your first contact if you like."

"First contact!" Aklana announced. "So soon, that would be--not being seen as enemies or invaders or as suspects; that is a gift that cannot be repaid in full."

"Speaking of suspects," Smith said. "Why is it that your ship was attacked?"

"That, I don't know." Aklana replied as she closed her eyes and squeezed them. "The last that I can recall was . . ."

"Take your time, Ambassador Aklana." Smith said. 

"I can scarcely recall fire, electricity, and screaming." Aklana shook her head. "Could have been my own screaming!"

"From where?" Will asked, leaning forward, curious.

"The consoles." Aklana said. "The explosion came from below."

Aklana watched Smith's lips mouth the syllable 'below' as his brows rose.

"That would mean the engine was located below the feet." Smith said.

"It was." Aklana nodded, somberly.

"Space has strange spacecrafts. . ." Smith mused out loud. "motorcycles that go through space, golfing carts with rocket engines, and shuttlecraft that didn't have a properly layered and protected engine system."

Smith sighed and his shoulders lowered at the event that had caused so much hurt, loss, and dismay. Will nodded in agreement with what his friend had noted. The loss could have been avoided, there was a chance of survival but the chance became zero with the critical part being below instead of upfront and left horrible wounds that were visible on the victims.

"When you return home, one of the first things to be done is to lobby for nuclear protection systems." Will said.

Aklana grimaced.

"It was the best that we could get for the time being." Vaslas protested. "Making a protection system is very expensive."

"Being protective of yourself is very expensive." Vuro said. "Just like living."

"Living is very taxing on the body as well." Smith chimed.

"Even worse on machines." Robot noted. "Rust can easily make me fall apart."

"You have people who care about you." Ma'quo said. Smith and Will looked over toward the machine with varying smiles of their own. "Makes it doubtful that a articulate, sophisticated, lovely, and charming individual will ever become discolored, lousy, horrible junk scattered all over the place."

"It will be ALL your fault if it _does_ happen!" Smith added as a after thought.

Robot's chassis heated then he wheeled away as Will turned his attention off from the wheeling machine toward the members.

"Earth has a very powerful defense army in space." Will said. "With the proper coordinates, they can get to your planet and defend it should your people call for help."

Smith looked toward Will as the group gasped in unison. 

"Are you offering to take us to your world?" Aklana asked.

"I am." Will said with a small nod back as Smith ceased to eat and a thousand words of fear were in the elderly member's eyes. "We're going to do some drilling in the next few hours." he smiled at the small group. "Any of you like to join us?"

"Yes." Vuro spoke up. "I like to see the manufacturing of-- ah --" Vuro cleared his throat. "space fuel."

"And the rest of you?" Will asked.

"Bury the dead." Aklana said. "We will need to be planet side for a month to grieve for our loss."

"That can be done." Will said as he grew a broad smile. "Need to do some geological surveying, studying of the wildlife, the plant life, and enjoy the fresh air."

Smith was quiet, bothered, by a very specific mention of time.

He shouldn't be bothered but yet he was.

It was so specific and _short_.

* * *

Three days after the group had become acquainted, Will came around to the synthensizer and selected the Jupiter 2 space suit uniforms. The measurements were put into place then appeared one by one beneath the machine that generated it. It took a adjustment in the machine for them to get the silver boots and silver gloves that fit each of them to a tea. Will labeled them late at night once everyone was fast asleep. 

"I know you're there, Vaslas." Will said. 

"How can you tell?"

"Oh, your presence is very heavy."

"Damn."

"You're different from most aliens. I can sense you. You just stand out and I don't know how else to explain it."

"I am different from everyone else." Vaslas admitted. "I used to be a healer of the mind. A mind healer. Not what your friend calls himself."

"Neurologist. Psychologist." Will folded his arms. "They can mean the same thing but with two different approaches to healing."

"Two different purposes with the same intention." Vaslas said.

Will lifted his head up with a hum from the clothing.

"So, you're a healer."

Vaslas nodded.

"Ex-healer."

Will looked upon Vaslas, curious.

"What happened?" Will asked.

"I lost my gift to heal minds." Vaslas admitted. "I just. . . couldn't do it anymore."

"How did you do that?" Will asked.

"I tried to heal a mind fractured by trauma, by war, and I became. . ."

"Became what?" Will's voice was soft to a whisper.

"Unable to heal others." Vaslas admitted after a long moment. "Your friend, I won't complain, is excellent at what he does. If only . . . I had done that with my patient." Vaslas lowered his head looking down upon his well trimmed fingernails. "It might have saved me of my trauma."

"You weren't _that_ skilled, were you?" Will asked.

Vaslas looked up, insulted.

"I was the most recommended individual on the planet." Vaslas argued.

"But not with war, you weren't there at medical stations, you didn't watch the wounded come in, you didn't talk to the soldiers that missed home and were having difficulties; you were at home and familiar to the city." Vaslas paled with Will's almost pinned down to the circumstance view of what had happened. Vaslas could stare only in shock. "You wanted to make a name for yourself under the ruse of it being a 'act of charity, of kindness,' and God decided to punish you for that."

It was quiet between them with Vaslas feeling quite disturbed.

"Yes." Vaslas confirmed.

"Part of me feels bad that you are suffering." Will said.

"And the other part?" Vaslas asked.

"Reveling in it." Will frowned at that comment. "I don't like that. It isn't me."

"It's okay to revel in it." Vaslas bore a tiny smile. "All I see, when I reach out to a mind, is the wounds of my last patient." he looked out the window to the Jupiter 2. "His war scars, his trauma, he is fine. . ." his hands rested on the back rest of the auxillary chair staring out toward the full moon. "I just have his trauma." his voice fell softer. "It stops me from slipping further into any patient, any person, any creature."

"How did you do that?" Will asked in awe.

"Myself?" Vaslas turned toward Will. "I don't know." Vaslas shrugged. "All I did, was ask; _give me your pain_."

Will stared at the red human like creature with spikes decorating the head and bright green eyes that stood out.

"Then that's yours to have." Will said. "You have to talk about it."

"I can't."

"You will."

"Why so certain?"

"Because I know someone who can make someone talk with the right medication." Will nodded with a small bittersweet smile. "Good night, Vaslas."

Will went into the elevator car, pressed the button, then the vehicle went down the decks as Vaslas waved back at him.

* * *

It was a week later that encounter with Vaslas that Smith got to have a moment in private with Will in a cavern while it was raining outside. It was a raging cosmic storm outside of the cavern with the men in their silver uniforms instead of Earthwear. Will paced back and forth, Vuro was laying against the wall quite wounded recovering from a cosmic strike to the head, Smith stood under a heated vent that dried him off while the younger man watched the storm rage outside waiting impatiently until he came to a pause at the entrance of the cavern.

"How are we going to bring them to Earth?" Smith asked.

Will looked toward Smith.

"It'll be difficult just to leave the planet a third time. . ."

"William, we may not be allowed to get into the Jupiter 2 at all after landing!" Smith exclaimed. "Apprehended, arrested, and vilified if we step foot out of the ship!"

"Not sure about the whole villified part, Doctor Smith." Will said. "We are not thugs."

Smith took Will by the shoulders then shook him.

"WWWWWWWWEEEEE STOOOOOOLLLLLLEEEEEEE AAAAAA SSSSSTTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAARSHIP!" Smith bellowed, loudly.

Smith withdrew his hands as Will stood there as if he hadn't been shaken by a elderly man repeatedly.

"Not with Robot at our disposal and a diplomat and her companions." Will looked toward Vuro then back toward Smith. "We will be fine."

Smith pinched the bridge of his nose, lowering his head, then sighed and withdrew his hand off his nose.

"My dear old friend, they may have generated a neutralizing machine for him." Smith said. " _Then_ we shall be in big trouble."

Will walked away rubbing his neck thinking it over then paused.

"We can send them down with the space pod and return our merry way." Will turned toward Smith with a grin. "We don't need the space pod, do we?"

"Yes, we do." Smith said, darkly, glaring back at the younger man then approached his side. "You can manually retrieve it."

"Yeah, but that will take too long." Will said. "I haven't done it in a very long time."

"The Space Pod **must** return." Smith emphasized. "It's a incredible asset that makes chopping into mines with pick axes just to make a replacement increase the odds of our fragile bodies a DEATH TRAP!"

"We're not as young as we used to be." Will recalled, wincing, as Smith's point was made. "Doctor Smith, we got hemp to make the plastic for the silverware every year."

"Every six months, William." Smith reminded.

"Every six months, we get new plastic." Will tipped his hands over. "Isn't that great? Reduces us having to make a tunnel and mine."

"It _is_ a great piece of technological advancement." Smith agreed. "Disposable utensils. Don't get me started on the edible silverware."

"Very delicious silverware." Will said. 

Smith's bright blue eyes flipped open.

"You ate it?"

Will nodded.

"Yes!" Will said. "Took me awhile to get used to regular utensils."

"You never mentioned that in your emails!" Smith announced. 

Will's hands were now set on his hips, tilting, his head, raising a brow.

"How could I tell you that without you taking it the wrong way?"

Smith paused, thinking about it, as his mind wondered when the Robinsons went that direction. 

"Thankfully, we had the hemp plant alongside the genetically edited cotton." Will changed the subject. "We won't be going into the mines as often." he put his hands on the side of the older man's shoulders. "Or _at all_ if we don't have crash landings."

"If we do have one. . ." Smith turned toward Vuro. "They should help us mine."

"They will, Doctor Smith." Will assured. "You got my word on it."

Smith looked out the mouth of the cave over the roar of the cosmic storm.

"Remember that one time a portal opened?" Smith asked. "You and I, stuck in a cave, without our dear old friend Robot?"

Will looked out the other end of the cavern into the dark.

"I don't see a portal." Will said with a squint. "This is a honest to God actual storm, it seems."

Smith ran out as Will turned his attention away.

"WOOOOOOOPPEEEEEEEE!!!"

Smith stood there in the rain and twirled with his arms out, cackling, his head held back. Smith sat down into the mud then laid himself flat, waving his arms and legs, gleefully having the time of his life over the bewilderment of the younger man. Will stared in confusion at Smith's actions then it softened. His soft features became replaced by bemusement, tinged by knowing after the fact that Smith was going to be sneezing the following morning, while Will had his hands on his hips.

"Oohhh, my head." Vuro said. "Owawww owwww owww. God. . . urgh . . ."

"Good evening, Vuro." Will said.

"Evenin'." Vuro groaned, then lifted himself up right, clasping on the side of his head. "Is your friend making a mud angel?"

Will leaned against the frame of the cavern with a chuckle. 

"Course, he is!" Will exclaimed, turning toward Vuro then bore a grin. "What are you doing with your life? Having the time of your life or being a criminal?"

Will ran out into the cosmic storm as Vuro bolted up to his feet then ran toward the entrance of the cavern, feeling quite dizzy, but paused spotting the two men in the mud making angels in the mud laughing like they had nothing of great importance to attend or there not was any danger.

Vuro stood there watching them laugh until the cosmic storm had ended, watched them get up, Smith help Will up, then shake the mud off their boots, and return back toward Vuro covered all over in gray mud that it seemed they were a two humanoid creatures from the rock. 

Vuro screamed, turned away, then ran off into the cavern leaving the two shocked older men outside with a high pitch shriek.

Will's laughter echoed into the cavern.


	6. Cast away and rattled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will make you, the person reading this note, _laugh_ so God help me.

It was odd, the way that they grieved, with candles, with meditation, with silence, with privacy tucked away deep into a cave that Smith was only able to find two weeks and three days after smelling the scented candles aroma coming off them one day during a tense chess game with Will using a entirely different set of thinking per the rules of the chess session.

Smith opted not to rattle Will about it.

Will had to be rattled himself by the Jupiter 2. 

The new iteration of the Jupiter 2 was strangely prone to malfunctioning without his hands being all over it.

* * *

"My dears, if you wanted to leap into this pool then you may." Smith said, casually.

It was decided in the second week that they kick back and relax in a area full of forest, life, and a giant lake. The luck of the planet Afterush was so astounding for the duo that it had to be taken advantage of and enjoyed to the fullest. It wasn't every day that the first body of water found was a **lake**. Will finished peeling off his silver suit revealing his swimwear beneath throwing the silver suit behind him as he ran for a specific section of the lake with his eyes on the target and his feet stepping on stones, sticks, and what not.

"But, it is indecent!" Aklana declared.

"How so?" Smith stared at her.

"O-o-o-o-oobviously!" Aklana stammered as she pointed at him.

"Hhmm?" Smith hummed.

"You're naked!" Ma'quo announced.

"So?" Smith, was still confused, stared at them.

"You're naked!" Vaslas added.

"I am spending some time in the most pleasing parts of this lake and have plenty of room to yourselves, dears."

"YOU'RE NAKED." Vuro emphasized at the clueless older man.

From the top of a boulder, Will announced, "Ready or not, here I come!", then the younger man with red hair leaped into the lake and crashed with a large splash. Vuro stepped back shielding himself as Vaslas made himself smaller on the ground and Aklana hid behind Ma'quo. Smith observed this strange behavior then laughed once Will's head bobbed up.

"Where is my white shorts?" Will asked.

"To your nine fifty-five, my dear sir." Smith replied. 

Will looked across then gasped and swam after it as Smith looked toward the group.

"If you do not relax and loosen up, you will get gray and become old a lot faster than the species of Earthlings." Robot noted.

The group grimaced as Will got back up out of the water then ran around the edge to do the action again; this time to do a pencil leap. 

"He is right." Vaslas said. "But I can't bring myself to do that in front of a indecent Earthling!"

"I brought pants for this specific situation." Robot said then revealed a white towel. "And a towel."

It was Ma'quo who decided to strip down to her undershirt and shorts then run off to another end of the lake and back flip into it.

"I am not doing it!" Vuro announced.

Smith stood up with a yawn so Vuro screamed in terror, his eyes squeezed shut, flailing forward running around until he crashed over a bush then fell over a tree log and fell into the water with a unexpected shriek. In that amount of time, Smith sat back down and awe in delight feeling so utterly happy.

Ma'quo climbed on to the top of a very tall rock structure then came to the tip and threw herself off the edge with a cackle closing her eyes as Vuro was blindly searching for a way to the surface. Smith managed to avoid him at every turn but occassionally shouted, close to him, "You're on my foot!" and watch the young man freak out.

It was the most entertaining morning that Smith and Will had in ages.

* * *

The cold awoke Will at first one night with a shiver then strolled over toward the fan, pressed the button, then his eyes opened. The fan wasn't moving. Will looked toward the direction of the power core then observed that the power core wasn't glowing. He searched in the dark feeling around until he felt the distinctive feeling of shoulders. His hands moved over them then came to a pause alongside Smith's neck. It felt cold but there was a heart beat that sounded faint.

Will felt around for the elderly man's shoulders, grasped him by the side of his arms, then proceeded to yank him toward the ladder. Will went into the cargo bay, returned with rope, wrapped it around Smith's snoring figure, then slid him up. Smith was snoring softly with his head lowered in the dark then once he were on top, Will untied the rope, put it back where it had been, then quickly made his way in to the residential deck. Will set Smith in a chair at the galley then pressed buttons at random.

None of them were working. The ship experienced a unexpected power failure. He rubbed his chin momentarily then sighed. They hadn't faced these problems in the beginning and that was the strangest part of all. Pieces of the Jupiter 2 showed signs of sabotage but with Smith's eagerness to join him, it didn't make quite sense that Smith would gleefully go into a death trap knowing that he was taking a friend along with him by taking a functioning part of the Jupiter 2 away. It was supposed to be Smith's final adventure not Will's.

 _Doctor Smith always has my back._ Will returned into the cargo bay mulling it over searching for candles while contemplating the list of possible repairs that he would need to do. He paused finding a empty box. Nothing was in it. Not the dozens of candles that Will was aware were promised to be part of the flight in the hundreds or thousands. He opened box after box after box finding precious equipment until he found only six candles. He stood there frozen as his hand clenched the candle then picked up a chamber candlestick.

Will returned to the residential deck finding Robot waiting for him.

"My sensors detected a power failure." Robot reported.

"How, Robot?" Will asked.

"I will report upon further analysis." Robot's helm twirled.

"Before you do that, can you please light this candle up?" Will asked.

"Anything, my old buddy." Robot electrocuted the tip of the candle.

"Thank you." Will said, with a smile. "Do you know who has been taking all the candles?"

"I do." Robot replied. "It has been the guests."

"The guests. . ." Will said. "Just for their grief?"

"That is the case." Robot confirmed. "Doctor Smith and I were searching for wild straw berries for cobbler."

"And you happened upon their. . ."

"Grief ceremony." Robot finished.

His colorful audio antennas twirled as he processed over the memory tape that echoed into the present over the new one. How notable, how high pitched their voices were, how strange they were with improvised idols and religious relics and pieces of the crash site there.

"Grief ceremony." Will repeated, perplexed.

"The chanting was quite loud." Robot supplied. "Their names were repeated over, and over, as was the name of their God."

"Do the analysis, Robot." Will said as he brought over the candle to the galley table then set it between him and the old man. "And bring us some warm blankets."

Robot's arms clacked into his chassis.

"Both of us can do with the heat." Then Will mused. "Can't use the cold to fall asleep that easily at this age without being bothered by it."

Robot quietly wheeled away.

"I will handle this matter tonight, Doctor Smith." Will whispered to the resting elderly man.

Smith snored away a little warmer than he was just a few moments ago in front of the burning candle.

* * *

And Smith wouldn't know better that the power went off even as Will tried to tell him what happened the following morning after waking up. Even after Will made the necessary repairs for the unexpected failure. Smith largely assumed that he sleep walked to the residential deck and mimicked the motion of eating over to the amusement of the younger man silently laughing into his hand with tears of joy at the simplistic but unusual explanation that was backed up with Smith's previous experiences.

Robot went about making a sled for himself when it came rolling down a hill for a group bonding activity.

"Oh, you'll have to pick your own material for this." Will told the group then gestured toward a ancient piece of technology that Robot was restoring diligently. "Robot calls dibs on that roller."

"I CALL SHOT GUN ON THAT MARVELOUS WOODEN LOG!" Smith screamed.

"What log--" Aklana asked.

"That log, Doctor Robinson." Vaslas gestured toward the unusually large log.

"Booby, prepare to modify it for my liking!" Smith declared.

"It's been fifty-five years, Doctor Smith." Will said. "He does have a designation."

"Does he stick up for it?" Smith asked.

"Robot is my name and I will keep it!" Robot announced.

"I seem to recall very recently that Earth unveiled your name as General Utilities Non-Theorizing Environmental Robot or else as Gunter." Smith reminded, sharply. "But then again, you bubble headed booby already knew that before we launched into space!"

"That went to the first POPS model." Robot said.

"It is your model!"

"That's not my name."

"Is too!"

"NOT!"

"You two, it doesn't matter." Will reminded, sharply. "What matters is the name that Robot likes to be called by."

Smith sighed, resigning to the argument, grimacing then shifted away from Will toward the taller machine.

"Fine then, booby, pick up the log and bring it back to camp." Smith said.

Will rolled a bemused eye then stopped noticing a hint of green so he knelt down toward a large clump of grass.

"Green!" Will exclaimed. "Hey, folks, how about we start picking grass?" The guests looked down toward the ground, incredulously, except for Smith who grimaced. "It'll be fun." Will had a hand on his knee. "It's for my uniform."

The members of the small group, save for Robot and Smith, proceeded to pick the grass off the ground.

"If we can find any plant that is red and a large portion of yellow then that would be perfect timing." Will said. "That would make a uniform to last me until the new cotton has grown."

"How long does it take if it is sped up?" Aklana asked as she picked green.

"Thirty days." Will said. "Still quite a long time compared to a hundred fifty days. And it has only been, er, a couple of weeks."

"I see." Aklana asked. "So, you don't need to grow colorful cotton?"

"If we got colorful cotton out our ears then we won't need to hunt for colorful plants, madame." Smith spoke up as he were seated on a large rock with one leg folded over the other and Robot held the wooden log. Will looked toward Smith then nodded in agreement. "When I was ten years younger than the Doctor over there, if the colors that we wanted were a animal then it would surprise us as a snake and take us down with a single bite. That did happen."

"Once." Robot added.

"Penny was sick for days as dad and Don searched for the snake that bit her." Will said. "Couldn't get out of bed. Mom, Judy, and Doctor Smith were house bound."

"That is the week in which we never speak of." Smith said. "Remember, Doctor? We made that promise after the planet with all the junk."

"Yes, I do." Will said. "No, wait, wasn't that a week before?"

"It was after we got the resident of the junk planet and dropped him off on a different planet." Robot said. "We spent a week on that planet."

"Oh!" Will snapped his fingers. "Now, I remember! Man, that was gloomy." Will shuddered. "Worst week that we had ages."

"I got them all!" Vaslas announced. "May we leave?"

"And search for other colors, yes." Will said.

The group groaned as Smith looked upon them in sympathy.

* * *

It was a few hours later that the group -- after hunting for the colors that Will wanted-- went on about to the crash site to check for material that could be turned into a bowl for them to roll down a hill. Smith watched them from the edge of the crash site then knelt down with little difficulty finding pieces of what appeared to be delicate parts that had remains of fiber optics, layered pieces that fit together like a puzzle piece, and visible signs that the damage was deliberate.

Smith frowned.

 _Deliberate?_

Smith looked up toward the sky that was getting darker and he observed a set of slowly moving stars distantly in the night sky. Someone was orbiting the planet.It didn't quite make sense.

_Why target us?_

Smith folded his arms.

 _They may have star charts to Earth._ Smith stood up to his feet using a tall beam as his support. Smith smiled in bemusement at the thought that their lengths to fit in was bringing them to do this; if his observation was correct. He watched them collect the necessary equipment for the slide down the hill even collect other pieces such as cords, pieces of equipment that survived the crash and appeared to be useful in modifying for their intentions, and searched through for other pieces of equipment.

Smith's features of concern became replaced by a devilish demeanor as ideas swarmed his mind on sabotaging their attempts to reach Earth or to come at all. The question resurfaced, tearing his thoughts off his plans, his features melting to a frown. _Why infiltrate?_

Again, it didn't make sense. They were travelers. Yet a nagging feeling told him Aklana was a very important figure that was higher than Ambassador status given the way the core survivors looked toward her--- _oh_. Smith frowned as it became quite clear that once the dust settled upon their return lies and deceit would be sewn, threaded, in layers until it were too late and catastrophic to prevent the fall of a civilization.

Smith felt a strange calmness about that. Civilization was already crumbling. The Robinsons were at Alpha Centauri. The Jupiter 2 would be too far away to be part of that disaster to be bothered by it by the time the final webbing was strewn and the army arrived. Smith considered, _should she be told about the state that Earth is in?_

"Doctor Smith, we are ready to go." Vaslas tapped on Smith's shoulder causing the elderly man to leap up with a shriek.

Vaslas's comment shook Smith out of his train of thought.

"Thank you, dear sir." Smith thanked. "Got what you needed?"

"Yes, we have." Vaslas said. "I had to chose a equipment that was supposed to be the size of a very large pasta feast."

"The pasta bowl. . ." Smith observed the unusually large pasta bowl that reminded him of a large tea cup at a carnival ride.

"Is it a bad idea on your world?" Vaslas asked.

Smith looked at it then smiled.

"Not at all, very innovative." Smith said.

Smith looked on ahead spotting a moving figure through the bushes ahead. Spooked, his eyes flashed open then screamed. Smith turned around and fled leaving Vaslas and the other members of the expedition behind. The group turned toward the bushes then watched as a couple of gray foxes with black tipped furry tails leaped out of them and their neon glowing fangs stood out.

" **RUN**!" Aklana announced.

The space foxes barked after the group fleeing with the general precious equipment.

* * *

"My back hurts." Will whined. "Oh, the paain. The pain."

Smith withdrew a tiny pill from a orange bottle from the medical box then handed it to the younger man, after the return to the Jupiter 2, after the others had arrived before he did, after the force field generator was set up and surrounded the Jupiter 2 in a golden bubble shaped formation. Will had his back against the back rest of the chair.

"First time?" Smith asked, raising his brows in surprise.

Will shook his head as he took the pill then swallowed it with a sip of a drink.

"My back has ached, Doctor Smith." Will grimaced on the matter then gestured toward his back. "But not quite like _this_."

"Hunched over a table working on a machine?" Vaslas asked.

"Sure, many times." Will said.

"I see." Vaslas said as he took a sip. "That is the difference."

"Doesn't this teach you a lesson?" Smith asked.

"Don't do gardening on the ground." Was the first thing out of Will's mouth.

Smith's brows rose at once in shock then frowned.

"No, my dear boy." Smith laughed as he shook his head. "That is not the lesson your back is teaching you."

Will smiled with a chuckle.

"Don't scavenge kneeling down." Will said as he grinned looking toward the elderly man.

"Doctor, I won't be around forever so it is important that you listen to your back." Smith advised, holding a hand close to his ear. "The return trip might not be miserable if it is done that way."

"Speaking of return trip," Aklana said. "What kind of voyage is this?"

"It's for funsies." was Will's answer.

"Old men having their fun." Smith added.

"You. . . you. . . you. . . You were given it?" Aklana asked.

"Negative, they were not." Robot said. "They stole it and I allowed them."

The core group were quiet as they exchanged a glance and Smith sensed for the first time that their plan was already on shaky ground by the revelation. Smith reveled in it, but opted, instead to remain cautious and to perform some hazing in the form of making problems. Smith grinned between bites of the lab grown hamburger.

* * *

Will took out the newly generated uniform from the synthesizer that was to his measurements then went into the bathroom that night. He stripped out of his uniform then put on the new one leaving the dark shaded Earthling civilian wear aside. His clothing was set in a pile that he quietly picked up and folded, set by set, until it were all ready to be packed. He sighed then fully enjoyed the feeling of warmth and belonging that felt quite right. It was like a secondary skin for him. It felt like home.

Will patted on the uniform then picked it up and departed the bathroom room.

The lights flicked on unexpectedly with a frightened yelp.

"Doctor Robinson!" Ma'quo shouted. "Why are you up so early?"

Will smiled as he relaxed and he lost the stiffness.

"Uh, just changing." Will said.

Ma'quo approached him.

"You look dandy in that outfit." Ma'quo noted. "Nice choice."

"Thanks, Ma'quo." Will smirked. "I have been told I have questionable taste of style."

"It seems just you." Ma'quo said. "Dark but very bright." She paused. "You and your friend are what we call. . ."

"Yin and Yang? Black and white?" Will raised both of his eyebrows. "One of us sees the world as something that can be manipulated to their desire and the other sees as one that can be moved with no manipulation?"

"Something like that, except. . ."

"We contrast because we don't wear the colors most people associate with good and evil." Will said.

"That's it." Ma'quo nodded in confirmation.

"Do people on your world wear clothing that correspond to if they are bad or good?" Will asked.

"Most of the time." Ma'quo said. "The others who are into indecisiveness wear purple."

Will laughed. "That's a good approach."

"But?" Ma'quo asked.

"My friend likes black." Will said. "Where would he go. . . Ideally?"

Ma'quo smiled back, widely.

"Yin." Will said.

Will smirked, _of course._

"Excuse me, I have to change back into my pajamas." Will said. "Just seeing if it still feels right after all these years."

Will walked past Ma'quo and closed the door. Ma'quo sat down then waited. Will came back out a few minutes later in a dark red two piece uniform with his morning clothing in one hand so Ma'quo got up to her feet then bolted in past him. Will turned toward the bathroom then watched as the door closed without the sound of a clatter.

"So easy to forget sharing a bathroom with a young woman." Will mused to himself with a laugh.

Will shook his head then went down to the lower decks.

* * *

"We have to change the plan." Aklana said.

They were whispering in the same cavern that had once been used as their grieving ceremony.

"Bring them back to their world?" Ma'quo asked.

"It may get us on the authorities side." Aklana said.

"Then again, it may not." Vaslas said.

"How may it not?" Aklana asked.

"The humans are well known to be wary in that little sector of space since the release of information about the green humanoids that drink fuel." Vaslas proceeded to explain. "They have been attacking them like there is no tomorrow on the way to their promised planet."

Aklana grimaced at the beginning of the report. 

"I heard it is starting a bitter war between them since they are being considered pests instead of aliens." Vaslas continued then drunk from a cup. "The admiral of the space corps has a very big bone to pick with them . . ." Vaslas took another long drink then swallowed the bit whole and lowered it down to the ground alongside him. "and no one likes to talk about it including aliens formerly coming in to abduct them for science related purposes and harvesting but stopped recently."

"Why did they stop?" Aklana asked.

"They just got aware." Vaslas shrugged.

"If we hold these two thieves hostage, are there chances that they will surrender?" Aklana asked.

"Chances are high since they do value the lives of their own." Vaslas said. "That's one thing that hasn't changed in the last half a century."

"Then the plan is unaltered." Vuro said. "Except, they are hostages. Their freedom for their world's future."

Aklana smirked.

"That is the golden fruit." Aklana said as a smile spread from corner to corner. "I will be known for centuries as the one that conquered a entire planet without a need for war and be under a monarchy."

Vaslas smiled at the peaceful passing of power.

"No blood shed, that will be nice." Vaslas said.

Aklana nodded then they took a sip from their cup.

"And we have to continue being patient for them deciding when to leave." Vuro said.

"It hasn't been a month yet." Ma'quo said.

"Time is ticking." Vaslas said. "Everything that we do from here on out is far precious in gaining trust and betraying them." Member by member nodded, somberly, of the delicate issue. "The little incident of rolling down the hill?" Each member of the party grinned. "We must hold it the day before departure."

"Bonding exercise." Aklana said. "Perfect idea, Vaslas."

Vaslas grinned.

"Why did you decide not to become a figure head of war?" Vuro asked.

"Because deciding how to best hurt people physically is not in my skill set." Vaslas said. "My weapon is the mind."

The mind was a place full of unexpected surprises in the galaxy in any civilization.

* * *

"Everyone who is not Doctor Smith is sitting at this table, remain seated."

This was three weeks after the awakening of the survivors.

"Good night, visitors, Doctor Robinson." Smith said.

"Good night, Doctor Smith." Will said.

Smith was the first to leave and the only to leave for the shower to change into pajamas. Smith gave a thumbs up behind Will's back, before ducking into a cabin and reclaiming it as his own. The cabin that had been being used belonged to Vuro at the moment who was sharing it with Vaslas. Shortly there after, the sounds of snoring could be heard from the cabin. Will got up to his feet then walked away from the table.

"I realize that you're all grieving for your friend," Will said, pacing back and forth.

"As we should be." Vuro said.

"But we need to replace those candles." Will said as he paused before the table. "Each and every single one of them."

"Didn't you say earlier that you don't need them?" Ma'quo asked.

"We're dangerously low." Will informed.

"How low?" Aklana asked. "I wasn't aware that we had been over using--"

"We have five left because I hid them." Will said. "I don't like to say this; cut it out." he held his hand up then lowered it. "That's quite over the top and you _know_ _it_."

The grimaces that came from the group confirmed what Will had suspected.

"Ambassador Aklana, it is very important." he tapped his fist on the table. "One day our solar flashlights may break and be unable to be fixed then we have to look toward. . ." Will picked up a candle then frowned as he waved it. "this old thing."

"Right then, so, why don't you use one of the gadgets to make more?" Vuro asked.

"Animal fat and lab grown meat is two different matters, Vuro." Will replied. "We have to slaughter a lot of animals, put their meat into a very big pot, tie string around sticks or metal pipes, tie the other end of the string around a small rock, drop that end, then after let's say a short while between dips remove them and let them cool down."

"Slaughter?" Vuro asked.

"Animals?" Ma'quo asked.

"By our bare hands?" Aklana asked, horrified.

"Innocent creatures?" Vaslas asked. "I was under the impression that you were beyond that!"

"With laser pistols." Will said. "And we still need animal fat."

The comment silenced them.

"We do this tomorrow morning." Will stepped back from the chair.

No one had a word to say as their heads were lowered.

"If you have any interest in using hundreds of candles, again, then approach me about it." Will pointed back at himself. "Or better yet; think if you want to hear the frightened screaming of animals."

"We will." Ma'quo said.

Will sighed then folded his arms before continuing to talk.

"The power went out a few nights ago; that's why you had icicles all over your skin. You can sleep in the lower decks or share the same cabin." He walked toward a separate cabin then shifted toward them. "Be our guest. Good night."

Will entered the cabin then closed the door then exited.

"Oops, wrong cabin." Will said, sheepishly. "Already occupied with one of your own."

Will took the other cabin and closed the door as the group stared in disbelief.

* * *

Penny looked out the window of her Jupiter. The weeks had fled away since the news that the Jupiter 2 had gone into space, the news that there was a letter sent to Alpha Control five hours after the flight, the five hours after Admiral West had announced to the world that he had made a bluff to the man on the other end of the line about taking the Jupiter 2 and reduced the wait time to mere minutes and the Jupiter 2 was out of their reaches.

And the people who had taken the ship:

Doctor Zachary Smith _and_ Doctor William Edward Robinson.

It was fitting that they go out into space together, all those years, so little time together getting into trouble compared to what came after getting home. The duo didn't get into trouble together. It was painful to find Will asking why Smith had left during the award ceremony so abruptly. Where he was, where he lived, what his phone number was, and finally, his email. That was the only thing they were able to get. She remembered how painful it was to find that Alpha Control was tight lipped about his whereabouts even after her family made a deal to be spared of prosecution for causing the ship to drift off course and the harm that came upon them. 

Penny vividly recalled how Will spent little time with her due to her zoological fanciness and his 'straight to the point' take when it came to short hand when lost in space even when they went to Alpha Centauri with a down to the basics model of Robot -- their friend being used and studied by Alpha Control -- and that caused friction. Penny realized how fortunate they were to have Smith during those three years acting as a buffer between them spending too much time together.

Will was unhappy for most of the ten years that he spent there and fled from Alpha Centauri with her to Earth at the first flight. She wondered from time to time if Will decided to go searching for Smith which is what every time that she brought it up as a punchline, _"Did you find him, yet?"_ she would get his responses, " _That joke hated itself so much that it **DIED** in the SUN._" His responses varied but always brought his younger sister to laughter.

Penny returned to her family when her sons were lost for ten years on a shuttle and stayed there along with her partner until their return. Instead of going home, she opted to take the next abandoned Jupiter and stay just as her children had with a decade's worth of stories and yet, she felt there was a fourth passenger besides to Robon.

Penny couldn't pin point how she knew this but it was unmistakable in how the story felt with how much they were capable of. Her sons looked at the stars more often than they did, like it were a longing, but they were happy to remain in a familiar solar system when they came home from work and spent some time with family. Will's absence was quite notable to them even Robot's lack of being there was including Smith's presence. Their Robot was far away and his replacement didn't hold a candle up to him. It all felt incomplete. 

Craig became a emergency colony transporter commander manning the heavier Jupiter bringing thousands of families in freezing tubes at a time during the downfall of civilization on Earth bringing them to _a_ Kepler system and Robon helped him. Link was largely focused on space programs for orphans and developed protocols for instances like his own in the space corps. And they were happy with that lifestyle.

Unlike Will and Doctor Smith.

That's who those two would always be to her.

Not Doctor Robinson and former Colonel Smith.

She hoped they were happy and she felt that they were where-ever; they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask me why they decided to sleep in the power core room instead of camping outside of the Jupiter 2 nearby. That's just where they wanted. Are they seeking for dangerous life threatening situations? Maybe?
> 
> * Craig Robinson, Link Robinson, and Robon are from the 1973 Lost in Space animated cartoon
> 
> *It's my general headcanon that those two are Penny's children.


	7. Growing rapports and breaking them

"Aklana, Ma'quo, you are going hunting with me."

Vuro and Vaslas relaxed.

"And these two --" Will pointed toward Vuro and Vaslas. "--will get the equipment ready for melting the animal fat, getting your old uniforms, and finding a lot of necessary stones."

"What about Doctor Smith?" Ma'quo whined. "You left him out."

"Doctor Smith is, uh," Will looked toward the older man then frowned as he searched through a mental check list. "Ahh. . ."

"Play chess with a curious mind?" Smith suggested.

Will stifled back a laugh at the comment that was replaced by a small smile then shook his head.

"Going to make sure that you see through to it." Will amended as Smith bobbed his head up then started to protest.

"Me, overseeing others?" Smith asked, incredulously. "William, how you easily forget I stray---"

"You are the easiest to motivate when threatened with the cold." Robot noted.

Smith ceased to speak as his attention shifted toward the others just as the younger man's gaze had became a glare upon the survivors. The second night of unexpected power failure had done a number on them both and shoved them head first into getting winter gear while the others slept well under the circumstance better than they did with two candles left behind instead of five in all.

"How could we know that the power would go out yesterday?" Aklana asked, meekly.

"Simple MATH, my dear Ambassador!" Smith exclaimed. "Whatever in the heavens you used the last three for--"

"What matters is the bill is paid for." Will finished for Smith with his arms folded. "Given that Aklana is a core member of this tiny group, it seems only fitting the leader goes with experienced hands."

In the next moment, Will's demeaning glare turned into a different look upon the elderly man.

"Doctor Smith, help them find the equipment ready for the cooking process." Will requested.

Smith grimaced at first shifting his attention away from the survivors.

"It has been a very long time since needing to know that." Smith admitted as he made his gaze toward the storage room then back toward Will. "But, there is some vague memories about the tools."

"Once everything is prepared for the animal then you can play chess with them." Will said.

"Marvelous arrangement, my dear boy!" Smith exclaimed then clapped his hands together and rubbed them quite deviously. "New chess players, oh dear." A grin grew while facing the other members of the group. "This could be far more entertaining than the old days."

"The old days were willing colonists and we are not willing to spend hours being pioneers!" Vuro whined.

Will looked upon the younger member of the group with a frown.

"When you decided to be in the wrong was the moment that decision was made." Will said. The red head turned toward the direction of Aklana and Ma'quo as he started to smile. "Ready to---" He stopped at the abrupt empty space. "Go?"

Will turned away from the empty space and shrugged.

"They are very eager people." Will said.

"How long will you be gone?" Vaslas asked.

"Depending how long it takes for Robot to locate a herd of sheep or deer." Will said.

"That will take a long while." Robot noted.

Vuro smacked his head against the dining table with a groan as the Chariot rolled down from the back of the Jupiter 2. Will descended down the steps of the Jupiter 2 with Robot following close behind him. Smith went into the storage half of the ship then came back out with several baskets of rations and descended down the platform.

"William, you're forgetting something very vital!"

"Right, I forgot my sleeping bag!"

Will bolted past Smith who only rolled his eyes as he looked up.

"Lord help this young man." Smith said as the others quickly followed suit.

The elderly man opened the door to the chariot and set the prepacked rations inside then stepped back as the group reappeared with sleeping bags.

"Got it, Doctor Smith." Will said. "Completely forgot about it."

"You have a lot of things on your mind." Smith said. "Did you forget a step back on Earth?"

"Hmm, nah." Will declined then proceeded to leap in. "What's the baskets for---oh." Will turned sheepishly toward Smith. "Just wondering how the great grandkids are dealing with the fall out on Alpha Centauri."

"They have to be doing fine," Aklana assured as Smith began to mouth ' _great grandkids?_ '. "You haven't seen them appear."

"I just; worry." Will said. "They have a higher ESP rating than I do."

"What's your ESP rating?" Aklana asked.

"I can summon objects and make lifeforms."

"You can---" Aklana was cut off.

"Summon food, too!"

"You can do that?" Ma'quo asked, stunned.

"If I _really_ wanted to." Will continued as Aklana only stared at him with a fallen jaw. "However, that takes a really lot of energy."

"Professor Robinson reported that he did not mention his ESP into detail in his log." Robot replied. "He forbade any of us from talking about it."

"Good thinking that the professor had." Smith replied with a nod. "That unique thinking brought him to the high position of power. President for all of eight years on Alpha Centuari."

Robot's helm bobbed up.

"PRESIDENT?"

"It takes a lot of effort to move one person through light years to another planet and they did that once for a trip to Mars then returned when everyone was looking back to their rooms."

Smith's brows had raised as did a shell shocked Ma'quo in a moment of shock at Will's comment. The women had little to say on the issue with each word that came from the younger Earthling's mouth. But the way that Will was speaking it sounded something to be completely normal yet very irritating in his life.

"They did that; on my watch." Will tapped along his wrist as he continued, solemnly. "I had them take care of my hydroponic garden for a month.'

Aklana stared in a mist of horror and shock and disbelief.

"Ah, let's be thankful it didn't appear in the news." Smith said.

Will chuckled then looked toward Smith.

"I had to fight to keep them off the news and report about the fires in California outside the domes." Will said. "It was very hard to do."

"I'll bet." Aklana said in awe.

Then Will changed the subject with a shrug.

"Don't know where I am so, there's a good chance they won't." Will moved the large basket into the back end of the ship setting it on the counter above packed deutronium drilling rig. "But. . . a part of me still worries."

"We all worry about those capable of power." Ma'quo said as she climbed into the craft and came to the passenger side. "I worry about my little brother's gift of singing being used for nefarious purposes and harm being brought upon him because his skill is so excellent."

Will looked toward Ma'quo then smiled upon her.

"That really helps." Will said as Aklana entered the Chariot. "Alright, Aklana, Doctor Smith, help Robot in."

Aklana reluctantly did as she were requested with the help of the elderly man. Smith partially disassembled the machine then with ease slid him into the ship wit the help of Aklana then next came his lower half. Smith stepped aside watching as they all buckled up with Vaslas and Vuro behind him. They watched the Chariot roll off into the distance with little waves of their own until it could not be seen. 

* * *

Nazvuraz's long existence was rather simple aboard the Jupiter 2; a machine would come in and care for him, shift him, move him, clean him, then dress him, and feed him with a feeding tube. The machine was quite unusual and something out of his world in such a nature that wasn't quite real. For the first time in days, apart from visits by members of the crew, a new individual entered the room then sat down in a chair alongside him.

"Nazvuraz, your species are quite unusual." A Earthling by all appearance. "I was told by your dear friend Ma'quo that is your name."

The comment by the elderly Earthling was annoying to the oxygenless space.

"My dear companion cannot seem to find any bed sores, is that natural?"

Nazvuraz wanted to roll a eye at the elderly man but did not have the strength so he settled with raising his eyes up and down.

"Interesting." This has to be who Ma'quo described earlier, _the doctor._

It was silent between them.

"Given I have no clue how different your insides are to humans, there is very little that can be done to fix your problem _."_

 _Problem._ His nerve was hit. _PROBLEM._

"We have a exoskeleton in storage that can be used to be connected to the skull, implanted to the joints, all with a simple surgery . . . but there is too much risk."

Nazvuraz wanted this over with and treated back at home, very sincerely.

"Mark my words, my dear sir; you shall be returned to your people."

Smith walked out of the room.

* * *

Ma'quo stared out the window watching as the landscape change every so slowly remaining generally the same while slouching in the chair. Behind Ma'quo was seated Aklana who had moved to the other side of the Chariot with her long legs stacked on the second additional chair with her arm wrapped around the back of the colorful decoration. Robot was wedged on the platform between Will and Ma'quo.

"Doctor Robinson, how do we spend the rest of our time if we are to spend it seated?" Aklana asked.

Will paused, thinking it over, then nodded with the decision.

"We take stops along the way, stretch, have a pee out in the bushes, maybe jog!" Will said. "All of these are very entertaining."

"And what if we get bored?" Ma'quo asked. 

Will looked up, contemplating, then nodded with the decision made.

"Can't overeat so that's off the table." Will said.

It was quiet in the Chariot as the wheels rumbled over large rocks that acted as bumps in the road.

"Does anyone have any ideas?" Aklana was the first to speak.

Will looked over toward Aklana with a grin.

"Oh yeah." Will said. "Plenty."

"What are they?" Aklana asked.

Will turned his attention away from Aklana.

"Who ever spots the most trees, the most shrubs, the most bushes, the most lizards, the most cactus."

"A counting game." Ma'quo groaned.

"Singing as a group does waste away time." Will glanced toward the younger woman beside him. "Or a guessing game of what someone is seeing."

Will smirked, looking on ahead, humming to himself as he swayed his head to a old song that he were humming with his eyes closed. His singing had aged just as he had but still notable with how smooth and deep it had become over the years with a country tinge to it.

"Must have had a very boring childhood with these activities." Aklana said.

Will shook his head, chuckling, opening his eyes

"That game was always the best during geological surveys with my dad and Don." Will said. "I had the _best_ childhood."

"One. . " Ma'quo said. "Two. . . three. . ."

"What are you counting?" Aklana asked.

"Four, five, six---cactus." Ma'quo said.

"I counted two hundred forty-eight on the way here." Will said.

"Cheater!" Ma'quo said. "You are cheating!" She pointed a finger back at him. "I heard Earthlings do not cheat!"

"You should have started earlier, Ma'quo." Will said as he smirked then his eyes swept alongside the environment as his smirk became a grin. "Three hundred sixty-eight!"

"Twenty-six!" Ma'quo announced.

Will laughed.

"What do we win if we count the most?" Aklana asked.

"Uh . . ." Will puckered his lips. "Come back to me later about it, Ambassador Aklana." 

* * *

With the weeks that passed, camping outside of the Chariot was a matter that had become routine just as the shade shield that now decorated the windows. Will was in the back trying to fall asleep after a bad night being unable to sleep in the last few nights searching for the needed material. Aklana was terrified as she gripped the two poles that acted as steering wheels and she was entirely on edge driving on paying little attention to the surroundings as it grew dark outside.

The Chariot came to a pause alongside a tall rock standing up as it were set into park mode then quietly went to the back and took out her sleeping bag while Will shifted and turned on the left seated between the two chairs. Aklana turned about looking at the human finding his attempts to sleep in the uncomfortable chairs quite unusual and insane for a individual his age; it made her shudder.

The shudder regarded how his back would be in the morning so Aklana retrieved his sleeping bag then approached him as Ma'quo leaped out the other end and ran around the chariot shrieking, "COOLD AIR! YEAH!"

Will bolted half way up with his eyes flipped open.

"I am up!"

Aklana stared at the man with her hand out reached, frozen, in place.

"Oh, sorry about that, Ambassador Aklana." Will laughed as he looked up toward her then took her out stretched hand and was propped up to his feet. "Back on Earth living in a hotel room, they have robots that shake you awake after the expiration of staying there!"

Aklana glanced toward Robot then toward Will.

"Like your friend?"

Robot twirled toward Will.

"No." Will shook his head. "Not like Robot."

"Not like me." Robot repeated. "I must be a celebrated individual in the artificial intelligence community."

Will nodded back with a tired grin.

"You're 'Too sacred' to be used as a public servant, Robot." Will said.

"Right I am!" Robot bobbed his helm up.

"They must be like robotoids then." Aklana said.

"They're not." Will declined. He came over to the taller machine's side then began to disassemble him for the drop down. "They look nothing like Robot. More like . . uh . . ." Will twirled his hand looking for a fancy word to pick. "A autotromic---no? More than that."

"What are they?"

"They looked like a bunch of muscular humans with lanterns for helms." Will grimaced. "Pretty fancy. A little too fancy."

He lowered his hand on to his knee as he looked back on the finer details of the machines and how often that he saw them in the last fifty years. It had only been four years since he met them as part of their debut for the reboot of what was made after their return from space entitled Lost in Space and their subsequent welcoming into society after the airing of season 1 Before leaving Earth, he made sure to film his scenes for the third season.

It was the second reboot that felt like a movie series instead of a television series with the heart and soul of the Robinsons inside of it compared to the first movie take. The only reboot that let him appear much to Smith's email; ' _I completely forgot that foul interloper stole my precious identity until I saw my name on the ID card in the major's hand and that it were a re-imagined version of our adventure. How did you manage to keep your appearance from everyone? I didn't realize it were you wounded in the hall until that photograph._ "

"Sometimes, they remind me of Robot's helm but put in a different position into their head. That's the only thing they share in common."

"Odd."

Will slid the treads down to the ground with care then turned his attention upon Aklana.

"Robot's models are in the security program for colonists." Will said. "I will climb down, you help me get his chassis out."

"Really?" Aklana asked as she handed Robot's upper chassis down to the lone Robinson. "They chose to reserve a very simplistic model for _security_?"

"Really, Ambassador Aklana." Will said. "Woah--"

Ma'quo came to a halt then captured Robot's upper chassis balancing him.

"Got him!" Ma'quo announced.

"Ah, phew." Will said, relieved."Let's move him on to his treads. Slowly." They slowly moved to his treads. "Ambassador Aklana, can you move the connective cord out for a moment?"

"On it." Aklana moved then shifted out the long cord. "Interesting piece."

"Okay, set him down." Will said.

They lowered Robot carefully on to his treads as Will fumbled out the other end of the cord and made sure to leave him on the other edge of the cord. He clicked the cord together then motioned Ma'quo to slide it forward. Once that were done, Robot twirled then the others returned inside for their sleeping bags save for Will. Will set up a fire pit with the sticks that were around the area and Robot electrocuted three small wildlife.

"Robot, what did you catch?" Will asked.

Robot held the carcasses by the ears.

"Space rabbits with antlers." Robot reported, grimly.

"That's not a space rabbit." Will was quick to observe the relative size of the creature and squinted at it. "Space Rabbits don't have . . ." there were a hundred little details that stood out above them all. "they don't have fangs sticking out that way and they normally have spikes on their spine that stand out against the fur."

"This is a different species of space rabbits, Will." Robot said. 

Will considered that comment for a long moment.

"Yeah, there is." Will said as he stacked a small fire pit. "Ma'quo, Ambassador Aklana, like some spice on the space rabbits?"

"We're vegetarians." Aklana said then pointed toward the greenery beside her. "We'll eat the cactus beside us."

"That's a baby cactus." Will pointed out. "How about that cactus over there?"

The duo looked on.

"Hmm." Ma'quo said.

"Let's dish." Aklana said.

Will shrugged then looked toward Robot.

"Did the Chariot come with some meat storage?" Will asked.

"It did." Robot reported. "It is at the top."

Will got up to his feet then made his way up the Chariot. He climbed up to the top of the Chariot via the ladder then unlatched the luggage and slid it forward. Will peered through reading the labels until his hazel eyes landed on one that was the most required one; a mini-freezer.

It was about small yet big enough to carry small wildlife back to the Jupiter 2, shed them of meat, melt their fat, and get some candles. _If I hunt enough of the small animals in the event that larger animals were unable to be found that could easily make up for the loss of additional candles._ So the aging Robinson counted in his mind how many that would take to fill the ice box then smiled.

He took out the box then closed the lid and made his descent down to the campsite, returned to the Chariot, returned with the proper needed survival kit that had been quite useful in the last few days surviving in the wilderness. The kit was set alongside the three corpses that were waiting to be handled. He looked up for a brief moment looking at a outcrop of rocks where Don and John had once been even how father had initially been disgusted when it came to preparing a meal without the women there to do it for him during a very lengthy geological survey.

Will set up the method of which to cook the space rabbit that he had recalled fondly from his childhood that required slicing the fur off initial corpse with the two set on the flat rock beside him. Carefully, the two animal corpses into the small container then closed it and returned it back into the large container afterwards Will came back to the cooking site and salted the fur evenly.

"Who ever asks me what is the reward for seeing the most items will get scavenging duty for a different breed of berries and the other will give Robot a oil bath."

Robot's upper half twirled as the women froze and ceased to ask what they had on their minds.

* * *

"It's been what, one month since they left? They haven't been gone for years."

Smith was seated on a lawn chair behind the generated forcefield with a laser pistol holster dangling off the edge of the arm rest.

"You will never know what it means to be loyal, Vuro." Smith snapped. "To be there, to let the others know their safe return is appreciated, and that they were missed."

"I do, too!"

"Your record tells a entirely different story." Smith said. "Now, I will come back inside when the Chariot is here."

"That will be a very long time." Vuro said.

"Understand this," Smith said. "I waited for all my enemies to live -- I am still not sure if _all_ of them are dead-- just so I can protect Will's family." his features became that of a glare upon the younger man. "So believe me, my dear companion, I can do it.""

Vuro looked down upon the elderly man.

"Fifty-two years is half a hundred years." Vuro said. "Almost a century." Smith nodded, his arms folded, looking on. "That's a long time to surrender so much precious instances of happiness."

"I never lost any precious moments."

"How?"

"I can hack."

"Hack. . ."

"I checked on them in the day time from time to time after they invented security cameras for the Jupiters and installed them." Smith said. "Those were my precious moments, my dear companion."

It struck Vuro.

"They think you never knew what happened in their lives, but you knew of everything."

_Smith looked at the computer screen peering into the hospital room that Will had with his partner on Earth. Their first born child being shared between them made him grin to see the product of withdrawing from their lives and pride looking on. He checked another stream, watching John and Maureen babysitting Joshua quite so happily, then exited out the tab and made his way on to another task._

"I made sacrifices for them." Smith cleared his throat. "The Robinsons know of one sacrifice." he held up a finger. "My dear old friend has recently been made aware of the second one."

Vuro was silent listening to him until he were finished.

"I hope I don't have to do what you did." Vuro admitted. "Or never have to."

Smith shifted toward Vuro, leaped to his feet, then leaned forward clasping on to the head rest of the chair.

"Pray that you never become a long term spy like I KNNNNNNOW YOOOU WAAAANT TO BE!" Smith roared.

Vuro stiffened, paling, terrified and Smith glared back at him until Vuro walked backwards into the Jupiter 2 vanishing inside.

Smith sat back down, warm cotton colorful blanket on, then became comfortable once more.

* * *

"Why did you salt the fur?" Ma'quo asked as she munched on a piece of green the next night as Will's meal was finally cooked. "You don't need it."

"We will need it." Then Will added in the next breath. "Eventually."

"We have cotton growing back at the Jupiter 2." Ma'quo reminded.

"Just because we have cotton growing back at the Jupiter 2 doesn't mean that we will have the tools to make coats for long." Will said.

Ma'quo looked at Will, puzzled.

"Suspect something?" Aklana asked.

Will shrugged.

"Just thinking lately is all." Will replied. " _Something_ . . . something. . . something horrible."

"What kind of horrible is it in nature?" Ma'quo asked.

"Taking agency from a person. A sleeper cell." Will was quiet for a long moment as he cut the meat and sausages up into pieces. "I'll fix that."

Will nodded, quite confident, with a smile that all was going to be well.

"Soon."

The optimistic comment made Ma'quo smile a little.

"You can make life, Doctor Robinson." Aklana said. "Not heal."

"I have taken part of seminars." Will said then eyed at them. "Sure that you don't want some meat?"

"No, we're full." Aklana spoke up so Ma'quo nodded. "These are very full of nutrition."

Will smiled then opted to eat over the howling in the night that alarmed the women and the lone Robinson wasn't bothered in the least.

"Ambassador, may we--" Ma'quo started but was cut off.

"Yes." Aklana said.

"Going back into the Chariot so soon?" Will asked.

"It's not safe!" Aklana exclaimed.

"Life is hardly safe, Ambassador Aklana." Will replied. "Not even in space."

"Then why are old men like you in space for _fun_?" Ma'quo asked, confused.

Initially, Will smirked as his features softened looking on toward the two women.

"Safety precautions reduces danger." he motioned a hand toward Robot then turned his attention upon the women with a smirk.

"And playing games isn't fun." Aklana said.

Will nodded back toward Aklana.

"Because it isn't the same. It's not authentic. It's not genuine." he grimaced, shaking his head, grimly. "And it doesn't help me truly escape from what a hell landscape that Earth became."

Will stretched his arms out as he looked up toward the sky with a smile.

"But being out there?" Will looked toward a passing flying star flying overhead. "Out here?"

Will lowered his hands down to his knees.

"That is a far better existence." Will smiled with that comment. "Running with adrenaline, hurtling through space, meeting strangers and helping them if plausible." Will grew a big grin. "Landing and exploring planets at a time is better than living underneath domes because the weather is too awful to live in, the air full of smog, or that the entire state is underwater."

"Oh." Aklana said.

Will ate and Aklana rethought her plan with a grimace.

It was quickly discarded within the moment.

* * *

They slept that night peacefully, unaware in the night that Robot sent off coyotes with bolts of electricity until it were daylight. It was roughly two hours after being awake and on the road only did Robot announce loudly, _"There is a herd of deer five kilometers away."_ It summoned loud cheering from Will and Ma'quo that jerked Aklana out of her train of thought.

It was a quiet trip to the area that Robot had announced. The Chariot was parked behind a cave then the laser pistols were taken out, the laser pistol holsters wrapped around their waists, then leaped out of the Chariot and made their way after the landscape. Aklana followed close behind Will over the distinctive feeling that they were being watched. She looked over scanning the scenery for figures then turned her attention away over Will's lowered hoarse whispered tone. Aklana took hold over her position.

Ma'quo's hands were trembling as she stared on toward the landscape waiting for the signal to be given, the very signal that Will had gone over with the women for the days leading up, _"Soon as you see a light reflect from the corner of a rock, fire in the direction that the light is hitting after you see the signal."_ Her fingers were grasped around the edge of the laser pistol, her skin sweating, her grip being readjusted with each moment when she sensed that she were being watched that caused a moment pause. A light appeared from the corner of the rocky landscape then a ray of discolored light aimed at a different direction.

"Warning!" Robot shrieked, from afar, set close to Aklana. "Alien life form approaching! DANGER!"

A yowl caused Ma'quo to leap back turning in the source of the sound and shriek at the creature that flung forward.

"Ma'quo!" Will shouted.

Ma'quo attacked the creature delivering punches to the face, her fingers digging into the animal's skin, grabbing, scratching, and attacking the animal. It felt that it were happening over a eternity as new cuts, scars, and wounds were bound on to her flesh leaving wide traces of blood behind. The beast flung off Ma'quo with a yowl then sprung away from her figure making a run for it and fell flat on to the ground after limping several feet away without a sound. 

Her heartbeat was echoing in her ears as the sound of the creature echoed profusely over the last few unexpected moments observing the teeth, the tongue, and the noise coming from the animal. Ma'quo was trembling looking on toward the fallen animal feeling paralyzed in the mist of being unable to move on from the incident. The feeling of fingers placed on her shoulder caused Ma'quo to jump turning in the direction of who had placed their hand and attacked their hand.

"Ow!"

Ma'quo was horrified.

"Doctor Robinson, I thought you were--"

"Another of the animals that attacked you?"

"Not in too many words, yes."

Will grinned, relaxed, rubbing his hand.

"Alls well that starts well ends well." Will said using the nearby rock as his support as Aklana followed behind him closely. "Time to go home!"

Ma'quo looked toward Aklana and mouthed, "Can we?" but there was no response as Will observed the fallen dead deer and the dead animal left on the rocks across from him.

"Is this more than enough?" Ma'quo asked.

Will shifted toward Aklana with his hands on his hips.

"That's over enough." Will replied. "Robot, get the corpses set in front of the Chariot! I will get the equipment ready to store them!"

* * *

The long trip back to the Jupiter 2 was began after Will opened the medical kit and treated her wounds with care while Aklana waited walking around the Chariot in a way that made Ma'quo very ency. A strange feeling had a grip over Ma'quo, one that she couldn't quite put a pin on. It was almost as if she could be attacked once more and be eaten alive with as little effort in fighting the target that was making a vicious attack. Robot gently covered Ma'quo with a heavy blanket from behind during the first day of the trip dropping it gently along her shoulders.

Ma'quo looked over toward the machine, Aklana up front with Will, then smiled.

"Thank you." Ma'quo said. "You don't have to be that kind."

"You are experiencing anxiety." Robot aptly returned. "You need to be coddled."

"Did this. . . Did this. . . did this happen a lot with the family?" Ma'quo inquired.

"It did not." Robot denied as he patted on her shoulder. "It wasn't quite often. When it did, the Robinsons were kind even when the victim was someone making them face hardship."

Ma'quo smiled back at the towering machine beside her.

"Sounds to me they are wonderful people." Ma'quo said.

* * *

Smith looked out the top half of the ship staring on toward the distance rubbing his fingers along his knuckles in a moment of deep anxiety.

"Doctor Smith, they called in yesterday with the report that they were going to be here in two hours."

Smith screamed, throwing himself away directly into the passenger seat behind him, in surprise.

"Vuro, you took a extra year out of this body!"

Vuro stared upon the older man.

"I have been here the entire time." Vuro replied, exasperated.

"Help me up, please." Smith held a hand out.

"Do all humans have trouble getting up at your age?" Vuro helped the elderly man up.

"From the way that I plopped down; yes." Smith dusted off his uniform then strayed his hand toward a bowl then his stray hand searched in it finding only empty branches.

"Your species are so very fragile." Vuro said.

"If I have a hip fracture then it is all your fault!" Smith jabbed a finger into Vuro's chest. "The first matter of responsibility as a adult is being careful and you ARE not!"

"Hey, I made plenty of noise and you didn't hear it!"

"Didn't hear it!"

"Yeah!"

"My hearing is quite EXCELLENT!"

"Your hearing has gotten WORSE!"

"Prove it!"

"You--but---"

"With ROCK MUSIC!"

"Rock Music? ROCK MUSIC? ABOUT ROCKS? YOUR SPECIES ARE FULL OF CRACKERS!"

"OOOOH, DID YOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU CCCCCCCCCCAAAAAAAAAAAAALL MMMMMMMMY SPECIES NUTS, VURO?"

"I did not call your species **peanuts**!"

Smith was overwhelmed by rage.

"Then let's see who has the best hearing." Smith seethed, picking up the bowl, then went on ahead.

Smith stormed away from Vuro then went down to the lower decks. He went into the cargo bay, returned with a large box, set it on the table loudly, assembled the machine, then proceeded to take out a small square see through thin glass and set the small glass on a extended part of the machine. With a simple push of the finger, it returned inside of the machine. Vuro was seated in a chair at the galley as Smith stood in the center of the room taking out a rounded object.

"Computer, select Time Waits For Nobody."

"Selected."

"Turn off vocals."

"Performed."

"Time. . . waits. . . for nobody." Smith began, slowly, but slightly off key. "TIIIIMMEEE WAAAAITS FOR NOOOBOOOOOODY!"

"I am waiting." Vuro said, resting in the chair, cupping his chin, leering on.

"We all must plan our hopes together, and we'll have no more future at all!" Smith sang. "Time waits for nobody."

Smith paced back and forth.

"You can stop mouthing the words, I like to hear the singing now." Vuro said.

"We might as well be deaf and dumb and blind, I know that sounds unkind, but it seems to me we've not listened to," His voice regained key as Vaslas came out of Nazvuraz's cabin carrying a bowl of peanuts. "Or spoken about it at all." His voice lowered. "The fact that time was running out for us all. . ."

Smith looked down toward his aged small hand, more wrinkled, more skin and bone, more nerves shown.

"TIIIIMMEE WAAAAAAAAAAAAIIITS FOR NOOOOOOOOBOOOODDDY!"

"What is he doing, Vuro?" Vaslas asked.

"Singing." Vuro replied.

"I don't hear him singing." Vaslas said.

"Sssssh, he's in his own little world," Vuro shook his hand. "he can't hear us."

"He lost his hearing." Vaslas assumed.

"Or in the process." Vuro said.

"That poor Earthling, what is he singing?" Vaslas asked.

"I can garner. . um. . ah. . ." Vuro watched his lips move. "Time waits for nobody?"

"How dramatic and sad for Earthlings to make a song about growing old, feeble, and dying. . . Vuro, you MUST entertain his conception."

"Never!" Vuro exclaimed. "That would be lying."

"Well, we are already lying to him." Vaslas reminded with a shrug. "What's a little more as white lies?"

"Because his body is failing him!" Vuro roared as he jumped to his feet, stood on the tips of his toes, towering over Vaslas then fell down on to his feet. "The sooner that he knows; THE BETTER!"

Smith tapped on Vuro's shoulder then Vuro leaped up and scattered away with a shriek.

"It's your turn." Smith said, calmly.

"I know nothing of your species musical interest!" Vuro protested.

"Sing . . hm . ." Smith paused then smiled, from ear to ear, as a title hit him as his head bobbed up. "I love rock n' roll." The elderly doctor beamed. "Computer, select the song that I have just mentioned!"

"Selected."

"Play with lyrics."

"Lyric mode selected."

"Play."

* * *

The Chariot rolled through the landscape with Ma'quo's uniform at the back waiting for desperate repairs by experienced hand. Will was in the drier seat whistling loudly as the vehicle drove closer to the Jupiter 2 for the first time in two months when the sound of loud noise was so ominous and alarming to hear once the Chariot had gotten close enough. Will parked the vehicle, took out the key, then made a leap out of the Jupiter 2 making a run for the interior of the ship leaving the women behind.

Will ran up the steps, pressed a button, then came inside but paused mid-way spotting that Smith and the two strange alien men were having a sing off. Smith was easily singing the loudest over them while there wasn't a sound coming from them. Smith apparently didn't seem to notice as he were in the middle of singing 'Never gonna give you up' with as much passion into it just as the others were. Will slowly retreated, closed the door, then went back to the Chariot. 

"Is everything alright?" Ma'quo asked.

Will laughed then bore a large grin.

"Doctor Smith is having a sing off with your two friends." Will said. "Can you species sing?"

"Yes, we can." Aklana said. "Most celebrated part of our culture."

"Well your singing is off the usual charts." Will said.

"We will look into these differences once we get this perhaps endearing old machine down." Ma'quo said.

Robot's helm twirled then bobbed up.

"Endearing!" Robot exclaimed. "Why--I--" Robot's helm twirled. "Endearing! OLD! I AM OLD? I AM TIMELESS! I CAN NEVER BE OBSOLETE!" His helm lowered then bobbed up for effect. "HOW OUTRAGEOUS!"

Smith came storming down the steps.

"William, you're back!" Smith announced. "You look so well!" he smiled if only briefly then shifted toward the Jupiter 2 with a look of disdain. "Our dear guests thought the worst--" He shifted back toward Will with a smile returned. "but I never faltered!"

The women were the next ones out.

"Hey!" Robot announced. "I am still up here!"

"Your turn to take Robot out, Doctor Smith." Will said.

"Oh dear," Smith said. "How horrible! I can't lift something heavy! Bad for my back!"

"YOU LIFTED A ENTIRE CART OF GRAPE FRUIT WEEKS AGO!" Vaslas called from the top of the stairs.

"Up you go." Will motioned into the Chariot. "Come on, you can unhook him. It's easy. Just like the old days."

"Mmmhm, if you say so." Smith climbed up. "Help move my feet."

"Sure." Will helped the older man lift his feet up on each bar until Robot slid him in.

Smith disconnected the top of Robot then slid him forward into Will and Vaslas's waiting arms where they promptly fell to the ground. Vaslas groaned, Smith proceeded to pick up Robot's treads then toss him out of the Chariot that crashed upon Vuro, and Will laughed propping himself upright taking in a view of Robot's scattered parts.

Ma'quo lifted Robot's treads off Vuro's chest and moved it over toward the two individuals then they worked efficently and quickly working on putting Robot together, moved the harvest box from the top and returned it to the Jupiter 2, except Will felt that he were forgetting something.

"Someone HELP ME OUT OF THIS THING!"

"Ooof!" Vuro said. "Completely forgot about you!"

Will and the small group looked out the doorway as Vuro came down the steps then laughed as Smith crashed on Vuro.

It was the good old days, however flawed, however different, but just what made those days so entertaining.

Nothing bad came out of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Help from observing the Chariot; https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iBYyUmu4dVo/maxresdefault.jpg did a quick google search
> 
> Public Servant Robot is based off the 2018 Robot. 
> 
> Bill Mumy _did_ appear as Netflix's Doctor Zachary Smith and didn't appear in the 1998 Lost in Space Film as the older Will Robinson even though he wanted to.


	8. Candles

"Got a roughly one thousand three hundred candles down." Will finished snipping the last of the string. "All we got left are enough for small scented candles."

"That many?" Smith asked from the center of the small group.

"That many." Will said, gravely with a nod.

"We must be somewhat closer to what we were before." Smith insisted.

"The Jupiter 2 is still down two thousand four hundred ninety-five candles." Robot repeated. "My processors inform me that would take more medium sized but overweight animals to make the necessary and very required candles."

"Drats!" Smith snapped his fingers.

"Such a shame being out of string." Will shook his head. "Doesn't matter right now. What we have a very pressing matter is getting to Earth, sending the Space Pod down with you inside, and retrieving it one minute after landing." Will held up a finger. "That's all you get."

"One minute?" Aklana asked. "Wouldn't we die?"

"No, you wouldn't die, Ambassador Aklana." Will said. "There is a dome entrance that the Space Pod can pass through."

"How?" Aklana asked.

"By picking up the radio, calling, 'Space Pod to Dome Control.' until they reply." he had his fist closed acting as a makeshift device then lowered his hand down to his side. "The vocal authorization code is KevinBurnsTheExplorer65."

"Kevin Burns the Colonel of the recreation domes?" Smith asked.

"No, Doctor Smith. Kevin Burns that fan of the biographic series Alpha Control authorized."

" _That_ Kevin Burns!" Smith exclaimed then beamed from ear to ear. "Had a lovely discussion with him about living in space."

"Owe a lot to him getting the franchise running and staying alive--" Will cut himself off with a quite unhappy look as he reflected over the matter. "It was quite dead for thirty years."

"Don't stand there and lose the opportunity, madame." Smith said. "I did that one too many times."

"Hundreds of times." Will corrected.

"Daily." Robot added.

"So," Will changed the subject. "Everything that has been generated in the last three months has to be thrown out."

"Everything?" Ma'quo's voice became high pitched.

"Everything." Will repeated, cheerfully. "Everything non-essential."

"Uh huh." Vuro said. "Seems that there is things worth ridding of."

"Including that lobster suit, Doctor Smith." Will added. 

Smith held his hands up in mock surrender then walked away. 

"And the furs?" Aklana asked.

"I am thinking about it." Will said then grinned from ear to ear looking upon the taller woman. "Aklana, it's your turn to give Robot a oil bath."

"But, I didn't ask about the reward for spotting the most items!" Aklana exclaimed.

"You asked a question." Will said, simply.

Aklana let out a loud irritated moan then went to the storage compartment of the ship. Vuro and Vaslas went to their cabins as Will walked over to Nazvuraz's cabin then slid the door open leaning against it staring on toward the immobilized alien being. Will stood there for a few moments looking back at how old that he were and how young the alien was perfectly fine but unable to enjoy it thoroughly, being alive, and able with a simple problem that could be handled by more experienced people on Nazvuraz's planet.

He leaned his side off against the doorway then made his way out back to the Chariot. Will took out the things that he had gathered during the two month long trip in the desert that felt more refreshing, relatively normal, and good than being driven by a electrical driven artificial intelligence operated car looking out at the artificially kept pieces of civilization that stretched from buildings, parks, to apartments, and rivers but always did the walls of the domes stand out against the view.

As Will chucked the pieces of what had been entertaining, he looked on with a pause and smiled. 

The sounds of birds cawing was music to his ears.

"Doctor Robinson, do we leave in a hour?"

Will turned in the direction of Vaslas.

"Hmmm. . ." Will paused. "Three days, I like to get the waste tanks depleted and the water tanks full before leaving this planet and we haven't really mapped out in what system that we are in."

"Three months and you didn't think of that?"

"I was busy doing some geological surveys and getting material." Will took out a big sac. "Boy!" Will opened the sac then peered in. He lowered the sac then looked toward Vaslas. "Slipped my mind that I was going to hold a rock contest with the women once we got back."

"Being nomads really does take away time." Vaslas agreed then grimaced. 

"Thinking how to best, um, the chances of landing without being attacked aren't going to be quite high. So that's been on my mind." Will rubbed the back of his neck with a grimace looking aside. "Don made the Space Corps have a defense laser grid system so it will be a race against time getting to the domes, entering, landing, and leaving!"

"Is your friend open to alien contact?"

"Sure he is. . ."

"But?"

"It's just the green singing people. Afraid of them landing and draining us out of our fuel. They have tried to use ships to come down to the domes. . . none of them survive the crash landings or the explosions."

Vaslas nodded as he listened to what Will had to say watching him throw rock after rock afar.

"By the way, Doctor Robinson. . . " Vaslas tapped his fingers together. "We're very low on food."

Will shifted toward Vaslas.

"Did you and Doctor Smith have a cook off, too?" Will asked. 

"Me, cooking?" Vaslas repeated, stunned as he pointed at himself. "Vazcoza no!" Vaslas shook his head. "It was all your friend's doing!"

Will's questioning demeanor was replaced by a smirk then he laughed as he shifted away from him facing toward the sky.

"I feel this planet must be relatively close to the void of space where Priplanus used to be." Will said as he surveyed the sky. 

_Afterush is,_ Vaslas noted to himself as Will turned back to him.

"So, you're going back with lots of data." Will said. " _Lots_ of it."

"Practically a barrel of silver to your people." Vaslas said.

Will pouted as he looked down toward the sac feeling down. 

"Hm, maybe we ought to have that rock contest." Will beamed looking hack up toward Vaslas. "It'll be fun!"

Will took the other sacs of rock from the Chariot then went toward the Jupiter 2.

"Heeey fooooolks, it's rock beauty contest time!"

Vaslas was unable to move as one thought went through him; _Earthlings are so weird._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Smith, in fact, let the opportunities pass him in every instance that he had to get back to Earth, notable ones are; Welcome Stranger, The Time Merchant, The Toymaker, Target: Earth. 
> 
> -Kevin Burns was a life long fan responsible for the creation of Lost in Space: Forever, being part of Bill Mumy's Lost in Space: The Epilogue as Doctor Smith's voice, being part of how Lost in Space 2018 came about, how LiS got blu-rays, comics, books, and the restoration of Classic Robot; he fell into cardiac arrest and became deceased on the date: 9/27/2020.
> 
> -It was 30 years exactly that Lost in Space got a short mini continuation in the form of the segment at the end of Lost in Space: Forever. The first piece of Lost in Space that Kevin Burns was part of.


	9. Run

In the middle of the night, Will's hazel eyes flipped open then he bolted forward, "OH SHIT!" He got up to his feet scrambling up then moved on with his feet shuffling against the floor. Smith bolted forward with a startled yelp then looked on toward the direction that Will was going in as he rubbed his eyes with a full sweat. Carefully, Smith got out of the sleeping bag then adjusted the night cap along his ear and went up the ladder.

Smith was half-awake as he observed Will put on a dark blue coat, put on the dark red boots set alongside the doorway, took out a flashlight in the dark, then move into the dark. Will looked toward the resting Robot from the center of the residential deck under the charging booth as the elderly man paused looking out the doorway with a shudder as the cold air entered the ship. Smith stared out with a visible tremble then he made a bolt down once the Chariot was rolling out into view.

The doorway into the chariot was open wide so he leaped crashing on to the ladder and swung himself in.

Smith raised himself up and landed into a chair.

"Made it!" Smith beamed with pride of his accomplishment.

Will looked toward Smith.

"Doctor Smith, you don't have to come with me."

"Nonsense, my dear boy!" Smith replied. "Drives are always so relaxing." he leaned back, folding his hands behind his head, with a smile. "The chairs aren't quite taxing on my back when sleeping."

"It will be a long trip." Will turned his attention upon Smith.

"If it's not too cold when the door is open then I shall be having the best sleep of my life on Earth!" Smith clapped his hands together then rubbed them with a grin. "Fresh cool air! Sweet natural air!"

Will snickered turning his attention away from Smith with a small smile of his own.

"It's been a long time since we went camping together outside of the Jupiter 2." Will said.

It was quiet for a few minutes in the chariot.

"It has." Smith agreed.

"One of the first things we will do after landing on our next planet is camping with Robot." Will promised.

Smith nodded, then added quite somberly; "Camping in a desert recreation dome just doesn't feel the same."

It was quiet between them as Will's eyes were focused on the path ahead.

* * *

"Why did we have to take a trip in the middle of the night?"

Roughly one hour and thirty-five minutes after opting to take a nap, Smith was awake with heavy eyes visibly trembling over being recently being awakened by Will's unexpected halt when a herd of alien deer had pranced through the way.

"For the weather station, Doctor Smith."

Smith looked toward Will.

"Yes, but why?" Smith asked. "We could do that in the morning."

"Because we need to pack that, too." Will replied. "And I like to have our departure first thing in the morning."

"Oh dear, why do we need that when we have Robot?" Smith asked. "I can never understand that issue."

"Robot's sensors can detect changes in temperature and his equipment regulate it." Will said. "Not determine the weather for the next week." Smith's arms were folded as he gazed out his side of the window with a sigh. "Robot can only determine the weather that is going to happen now."

"I don't know what you are complaining about but it's nice to be away from the Jupiter 2."

Smith and Will looked toward the back then screamed, turned away from Vuro, screamed loudly, as it just hit them they were not alone. Will put the Chariot into pause that sent both of them sliding forward with the abrupt halt and their backs hit the back rest with the seatbelts restraints. Then the two men looked toward the man turned in the back of the Chariot. Vuro was eating from a deep bowl of popcorn with one hand looking back at them.

"Vuro . . ." Will started, gently. "how long have you been here?"

"Seen you and Doctor Smith left the ship." Vuro said. "Thought you might need some additional help."

"Oh, yes!" Smith exclaimed. "We could use some."

Will looked aside thinking over the weight of the perspective equipment.

"Lifting the container would be better with a pair of younger hands." Will said. "That would make the whole lift much easier."

"Indeed." Smith agreed. "I can carry the thermometer."

"I will get the temperature barrel." Will said.

"What about the instruments?" Vuro asked.

"You'll get that." Will said. "Just need to detach the wires is all and pack it into the suitcase."

"Hmm hmm, alright." Vuro said.

"And I can carry the thermometer!" Smith announced, cheerfully.

"Fine plan!" Vuro said.

"Except the table." Smith grimaced.

"Right, I forgot about that part." Will said. "It's collapsible, right?"

"The one that we used was that way." Smith said.

"The last one outside of the Chariot gets the table." Will said. "We should be there in another hour and two minutes."

"Oh dear, this better be worth the fright." Smith whined.

"It is, Doctor Smith." Will assured. 

* * *

The hour and two minutes passed with a total of singing random songs along the way by Will and Doctor Smith over the displeasure of Vuro who's ears were plugged in. The younger one of the group sighed in relief slouching in the chair as members of the trio began to unbuckle their seatbelts and proceed to exit the Chariot with flashlight in hand then walk away from the Chariot in their pajamas.

The disassembly of the center piece to the weather station was done in a few moments and in a few minutes the task of the station being completed. Will dusted his hands off with a smirk then paused watching the general outline of the Chariot rolling on ahead. He saw it roll on ahead with visibly no figures in the seats as it took some moments to sink in there was nobody driving the vehicle away. By the time it did hit the trio, the Chariot was but a distant specter.

"Hey Earthlings, did you have autopilot installed?" Vuro asked.

"The Chariot isn't _that_ highly advanced." Smith stared on after the rolling vehicle.

"Run!" Will announced as he sprinted after the vehicle. 

"Coming!" Smith called back as he followed the younger man. "Wait!"

"Vuro!" Will called.

"Coming soon to a datapadd near you!" Vuro cried.

"How in the heavens did this ever happen?" Smith asked.

"Someone is either in the front seat or left the vehicle in drive mode!" Will replied.

The men sprinted after the fleeing Chariot under the sky that was starting to lighten up.

"Oh dear!" Smith screeched then paused. "I have to sit down!" he put a hand on the center of his back. "My back doesn't feel right!"

Smith sat down as Will ran on ahead of him.

"We will get it, Doctor Smith!"

Will looked over his shoulder facing the older man then shifted his attention on as he charged toward the Chariot.

"Doctor Robinson, the Chariot is going toward a gulley!"

Will mentally kicked himself for leaving the laser pistols behind, _arrogance was so unbecoming for surviving in space._ Some habits formed in civilization had grown on to him and some quite useful habits had faded away to the wind of time as mere whips of smoke that wasn't on the forefront of his mind but only in the background that mattered very little to what it once used to be.

Vuro fled after the vehicle with a deep shriek. Vuro leaped up and the Chariot continued to roll on ahead as Will's heart raced while sweat poured down his skin for a few minutes until the vehicle had paused. Will halted in his tracks placing a hand on his knees, panting, watching the Chariot remain still as he regained his bearings.

Will turned in the direction of Smith observing that he were laid flat on the ground on his back.

"Doctor Smith, are you okay?" Will asked.

Smith held a arm up, his thumb raised then turned his thumb upside down.

"We will get the back end of the chariot ready for you."

"Why thank you, my dear boy." Smith lowered his arm. "Always so kind at my darkest hour."

Will had a very good feeling that it was all Smith's doing that lead the Chariot to roll off without them.

* * *

"Doctor Robinson, you asked that I stay up."

Will shifted from the auxiliary window to face Vuro only some hours after returning to the Jupiter 2. There was a cosmic storm raging outside of the Jupiter 2 with lightning strikes that illuminated the environment outside. A brief flash highlighted the sky in a tinge of white that reflected against the landscape with its own brief brightness with wind raging against the barren trees and what sections of grass there were.

"I did." Will said as lightning struck outside the Jupiter 2.

"What is so important?" Vuro asked.

"I need you to get something small." Will said. "Something _alive_."

"You want me to hunt?" Vuro asked, shocked. "At this time? Thought you were going to hunt for the animals after the trip to Earth."

Will shook his head. 

"The candles aren't a pressing matter and are under lock and key unlike last time." Then Will added holding his hand up with a smile. "For a lizard."

"Okay!" Vuro relaxed. "That should be easy."

"Might be difficult doing that at night." Will admitted.

"And . . Doctor Robinson, why do you prefer to be called doctor?" Vuro asked. "You don't do any medical care; only your friend does."

"I don't like to be confused with my dad." Will supplied. "Everyone calls my dad Professor even after being President."

"It sticks to him." Vuro said.

"That's the only title the fans know him by." Then Will grinned. "Don't want to confuse one Robinson with the other."

Vuro nodded then departed out of the ship so Will went toward the route that lead down to the power core of the ship section so he came over to the resting older man who had the fan running close to him. A few minutes later, Vuro returned with a squirming lizard in his hands. Will held a hand up then motioned toward his side so Vuro did as he were being directed to. Vuro knelt down as did Will.

Will held his hands alongside the elderly man's ears then proceeded to focus on the finer details with his eyes closed, squeezing them shut, searching for the abnormal aspect that didn't quite belong following on to the general shape of a mind. His mind saw colors that were all categorized with labels and shapes and figures and a section that pertained to Smith's dream of the night. From outside, Vuro watched with rapid attention observing the serene look on Will's features.

Abruptly, Will bore a tiny yet little smile. His fingers clasped on to the programming that didn't belong then lifted it out of Smith's mind and moved it over toward the squirming lizard which is where he lowered his hands down side by side of the small creature's skull. Will dropped the unnatural programming into the small creature's head then withdrew his hands opening his eyes.

"It is done." Will said. "Vuro, I don't care how you get rid of this lizard but get rid of it."

"Is that all?" Vuro asked.

Will paused for a moment then sighed.

"I forgot the drilling rig." Will sighed. "Vaslas and I will get to it in the afternoon."

"Good night." Vuro said then departed the room leaving Will and Doctor Smith alone climbing up the ladder with the lizard resting on his shoulder. 

* * *

The Duetronium drilling rig was returned to the Jupiter 2 in a series of luggage and with a slight delay in the form of a cosmic storm, the Jupiter 2 was ready and willing to leave Afterush within the following afternoon dressed in their finest silver and orange uniforms getting ready to leave the planet. Smith sat down into the chair then slid over the newly installed seatbelt over his shoulder then buckled it in below his stomach over the younger man's incredulous look.

"Doctor Smith, why are you here?" Will asked.

"Our company don't make nice passengers." Smith admitted. "So very impatient."

"Oh, how I haven't noticed." Will said, sarcastically. "You don't like them."

"What is there to like?" Smith asked.

"Aklana isn't half a bad chess player, Vaslas is unpredictable, and Vuro . . ." Will grimaced. "Is a very awful player."

"And we have little to little clue how their companion, Nazvuraz, may be." Smith said. "You have said that Vaslas is capable of healing wounds in the head, greatly experienced, why not heal the wound in their companion's mind that prevents him from moving?"

"Painful memories are hard to roll over, Doctor Smith."

Smith looked aside, for a moment, quietly considering.

"It's a cruel fate, William, to be trapped in one body and not being taken out often to see what is outside, the weather, even just for a hour or two. . . feels so less." Smith's voice became soft yet small. "So little time."

Will unhooked the radio.

"Will to lower decks."

"Lower decks here," Aklana replied. "Waiting for departure."

"Everyone strapped in?" Will asked.

"Yes, Doctor Robinson." Aklana said. "Very eager to get into space and step foot on your world to see how it lives underneath the death."

Will smiled, warmly, at the comment.

"You may regret staying aboard the Jupiter 2 and taking my offer by the time the week is over on Earth." Will said.

Aklana was quiet for a few minutes as she frowned.

"That is my regret to rest on." Aklana said.

"Great." Will said. "Just remember, Earth may look a lot more worse than how you imagine it."

"Already bracing for it." Aklana said as her companions looked toward her.

"Alright, hang on." Will said. "Upper decks out."

Will looked up toward the sky hooking the radio back in.

"First day of the rest of our lives." Will said.

"Not frightened of going back out there." Smith grew concerned. "Are you, my dear boy?"

Will had a short lived laugh at the question then looked toward Smith and shook his head.

"Not at all." Will said. "You?"

"Excited!" Smith clapped his hands together with a grin then rubbed them, gleefully. "The perils of space don't know what is heading toward them;" he placed a hand on the side of Will's shoulder. "the grotesque of horror, the epitome of primal health, and the frailness of dealing with elderly Earthlings, and we shall be underestimated---and we will prevail because of that!"

Will's laugh was quite a long one by Smith's comment then nodded.

"We got that and have been using that to our advantage." Will said then grew concerned looking toward his old friend. "My only question is; how long can that _last_?"

Smith offered only a small shrug, there was no answer that could be supplied. No monologues that Smith could conjure up on the spot. Will smiled briefly at his old friend then proceeded to set the ship into launch mode.None of them knew how long their adventure could last but the future knew and it was terrifying for either of them to contemplate just how dark, bitter, and utter glorious failure it were to end.

Robot remained squared from the center of the residential deck by his magnetic lock as the wail of the engine went off below the ship. The legs started to retract as the ship began to up into the sky with members of the Jupiter 2 pinned against their seats. Will manipulated the instruments of the console. The Jupiter 2 soared into the sky when suddenly there was unexpected turbulence as though the ship had crashed against something that sent electricity cackling from the regenerative circuits and smoke filled the bridge over Smith's frightened scream. 

Smith passed out in the chair as Will began to set in new coordinates that were nearby but far from where they had initially flown from. The Jupiter 2 came to a controlled descent down to the land with the landing legs coming down as Will's grip on the joystick was icy keeping in line with the weight of the Jupiter 2 including all eighty feet making a descent down to the ground with the landing legs deploying and landing back without a crash. Will slouched in the chair, unbuckled, then slumped over the console.

After a solid moment grounding himself down to the moment, he slid up then got out of the chair and checked his friend's pulse. Will relaxed with ease upon discovering that Smith bore a heart beat and looked down upon him in concern. _Were the nanobots even working?_ He looked aside. _They saved his life from a fatal stroke. Maybe they were just a one time thing . . ._

Will smelled smoke then looked toward the source of it, he picked up a fire extinguisher then pressed the trigger and fired at it until the flames were gone. Will grimaced then looked forward spotting figures standing outside of the Jupiter 2 that were dressed funny in dark silver cloaks with secondary colors that consisted of yellow and orange and bore heavy equipment on their figure standing out against their clothing. Will made a bolt for the lower decks leaving Smith behind.

Will came down to the lower decks spotting that everyone were gathered in front of the auxiliary window.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Unsettled and angry." Aklana said.

"My external sensors indicate these are not nefarious individuals." Robot reported.

"What are they?" Vuro asked.

"They are justice seekers." Robot said. "That is the only subject on their mind."

"They don't have those strange laser pistols that I seen back in the day with those spiral purple glass." Will rationalized. "So, they aren't aligned with those people."

"Then, what are they?" Ma'quo asked.

"From a specific different galaxy that we haven't discovered or yet made contact." Will rubbed his chin. "I have to say the second is the most possible answer."

"Justice seekers from another galaxy?" Vaslas asked. "But, that, that's---"

"It's possible with the right amount of fuel." Will cut off Vaslas. "It all matters in the fuel gauge."

Vaslas looked toward Aklana, _there's a reason why they are legends_ , puckering his lips.

"Could we be harboring a fugitive, Doctor?" Ma'quo asked.

"Only one way to find that out!" Will said, then went over and retrieved a laser pistol belt."Not going without one is a bad and poor decision."

"Then I am going with you!" Ma'quo said as she joined his side. "If we are being stuck here for the foreseeable future then I must throw my weight around one way or another."

Will handed Ma'quo a laser pistol belt with a smirk.

"Good to hear that." Will said then handed her a laser pistol. "Because that will be a lot of weight to pull."

"I have pulled the weight of many shuttles when they lost power on my homeworld with no aid." With a nod, Ma'quo took the laser pistol and slipped it into the holster. "The muscle in my line is very strong and thick."

"That will come in handy some day and that information will have slipped my mind by then." Will said then sheepishly shrugged. "Us Earth men are forgetful."

"Oh?" She looked at him quite puzzled and dumbstruck. "I thought that applied to Earth women."

Will looked toward Ma'quo then smiled.

"It applies to both." Will said as he walked on and went down the stairs with Ma'quo behind him.

Ma'quo pressed the button that closed the door behind them as they came to the leg of the Jupiter 2 then landed along both sides of the large block. Smith's figure was there after seen from the top of the Jupiter 2 at the conn looking on with a visible tremble in fright and wincing at what may happen below.

Ma'quo looked away from the two sections of the Jupiter 2 featuring the two groups. Will had one hand on the holster of his laser pistol as Ma'quo observed the top half of the Jupiter 2's astronavigation glass bubble was destroyed. 

"Ma'quo, any visible damage?"

"The bubble at the top is no longer there."

"Listen, we're trying to get home and drop off people, what is your business?"

"We are at attempting to capture a fugitive. He is very sneaky and deceptive. Someone not of your world."

"Uh huh and is his name Ohan?"

"He stole a priceless tiara."

"And you think he got aboard this ship."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you send a space law enforcement officer?"

"Our monarch wants his daughter's tiara returned. Anyone on this world is highly suspect of harboring him or concealing him."

"How long will that search take?"

"Three months. You are on the last on the list."

Will turned back toward the Jupiter 2 then back with a moment of silent consideration.

"You should have knocked earlier." Will said. "We can wait three months."

"But three months!" Ma'quo said.

"Three months is such a short period compared to a year in space with no experienced hands in being away from civilization, Ma'quo." Will reminded with a simple lift of his brow that he promptly lowered. "It will pass by you so quick."

"Have you been in our shoes?" Ma'quo asked.

"When I was ten years older than you, six months . . . had passed but it felt still like March because there wasn't many important events on Earth during the year of Covid-19." Will looked back, quite fondly, but warmly at the fond memory. "Six months was all it took to defeat the biggest threat to civilization and masks, oh god, the masks."

"You are the leader of this group?"

"Unofficially." Will said. "A group of circumstance."

"It seems you have this ship well under command with this fine young woman by your side."

Will smiled, touched.

"We have some unfinished geological surveys and ecological surveys to do before we leave; anyhow." Will said, chipper. "They are technically passengers who I have to drop off on Earth and then do what Doctor Smith and I have been always intending."

"You are Will Robinson."

Will nodded back at the generally surprised individuals. 

"Yes, I am." Will said. "My folks may be at Alpha Centauri, but Robot isn't."

"Do not leave this planet until we come back."

"In three months." Will down cast his head. "Got it."

The small group turned away then walked on leaving them behind as Vuro stroked the spine of the lizard with a small tiara on the top that glittered. Will turned around toward the ship, contemplating the repair time for the bubble, and the dismay the entire crew were going to be in for the rest of the week. That unhappy thought was not the best ideal future that was going to happen but it was to happen.


	10. Some things change some things do not

"It has taken you approximately four months to change into field uniform, Doctor Smith." Robot said. "This is very surprising."

"I have yet to change, bubble headed booby!" Smith snapped. 

"It still applies." Robot said. "You have been in your spacesuit for most of the four months while using the brown suit for formal occasions."

Smith grimaced as he clenched on to the clothing in his lap becoming quiet.

"That, I have." Smith agreed.

"This does not compute to my processors." Robot was quite startled by his own admission as he twirled toward the elderly man's direction. "Elaborate why you did not make your uniform." his antenna and helmet twirled. "It is quite unlike you not to jump into the opportunity to change into available clothing."

Smith looked aside, fondly, rubbing his chin as he bore a tiny smile at a memory then his blue eyes shifted toward Robot.

"I am _very_ elderly, my dear old friend." Were the only words instead of a very long monologue. "Feels just yesterday that. . ."

"You were young." Robot finished for Smith.

Smith looked aside looking back at the past then sighed.

"I envy you, my dear old friend." Smith shifted his attention toward the machine. "You never get to age. Only become more advanced and be given more memory tapes." Smith smiled, bitterly, but smoothly at the contrasts. "That is the beautiful thing of being a machine."

"I can rust, my energy levels deplete, my diode tunnel timer can give out, and my memory tapes can become torn long after you and Will are gone." Robot replied. "It is a very ugly end."

Smith briefly thought that as his eyelashes fluttered looking down giving it some careful thought.

"That is." Smith agreed. "If you don't go into a cave and rest there, waiting to be found, there are always going to be people who need help."

"I don't want to outlive Will." Robot admitted. "And you, too, Doctor Smith."

"William and I will be there on the next adventure even if we cannot communicate directly." Smith said. "You will detect us on your electromagnetic force scanner." then he added, sincerely, with a assuring smile. "Any day."

Smith put a hand on the side of Robot's chassis then patted on it and withdrew his hand cradling it in his other.

"This is my last adventure, my dear old friend." Smith said then smiled, bitterly, as he rubbed his thumb against his knuckle. 

Robot's helm twirled.

"I figured that as much." Robot's helm bobbed down. "Always a sour note in a camping trip."

Smith smiled, fondly, upon the machine.

"This is how I decided to spend it." Then Smith frowned as he unclasped his hand and shook his finger at the machine. "Don't expect you to be happy about it!"

"Surrounded by strangers?" Robot asked. "That is against your character."

"Course not!" Smith scowled. "Surrounded by _friends_." Smith beamed, looking younger for a moment. "On Earth, my corpse would be found months after my untimely expiration."

Smith winced.

"That is quite in your character." Robot amended his comment.

Smith turned away then walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Robot waited a few minutes then went over to the galley, opened the door, and slid out the long pan that was layered in two sets of ribs with steam and sauce dripping all over. Robot slid the ribs back into the interior of the galley then closed the door as his processors determined how close it were to being done. 

"Robot, how is the ribs doing?" Will asked as he came up the stairs with Nazvuraz in a wheelchair. 

"They need four more hours to cook." Robot reported.

"Hmmm hmm, was that ribs I smelled just a moment ago?" Vuro asked coming up behind Will. 

"It was." Robot said.

"A few more hours, Vuro." Will said. "Come on, let's get Nazvuraz into bed. He must be tired from eight hours outside."

"Most of the hours were spent being in the company of that---what was that fellow?"

"Vonna." Will said. "Searching for that dog was. . ." he rubbed the back of his neck. "It never was that hard to find a alien dog." he withdrew his hand with a shrug. "Well, except for Penny's alien terrier."

Will frowned over the incident then winced putting his hands on his hips.

"One day, dad, mom, Don, Robot, Doctor Smith and I could never find it." Will said. "Penny was so unhappy."

The door to the bathroom opened.

"Unhappy, indeed!" Smith exclaimed. "She was so heartbroken for quite a long time about his absence."

Vuro and Will looked toward Smith.

"Doctor Smith, that is the same outfit you had on when we returned home." Will said.

"Not exactly the same uniform, my dear boy." Smith said.

"It's black, green, _and_ purple." Will said. "Exactly the same."

"That is a very accurate observation." Robot said.

Smith looked down toward his uniform then looked up toward the duo with a scowl.

"Yellow isn't my favorite color." Smith's mood shifted as he beamed. "I shall go out and enjoy the weather!"

Smith walked away.

"But, Doctor Smith it's freezing cold out there!"

Smith paused turning toward Vuro.

"For your cold blooded skin, it is." Smith said then stretched his collar out with a grin. "Not half bad for someone in warm clothing."

Smith descended down the stairs.

"Doctor Robinson, aren't you going to stop him?"

"If he is wasting a opportunity to be in the warm, let him." Will said. "His prerogative. He should be in about five minutes."

The men waited five minutes; in that five minutes, Nazvuraz was returned to his cabin, Vuro closed the paralyzed member of the party's eyes, then Will folded the wheelchair, set it aside against wall, and walked out. Vuro followed out of the cabin promptly after the older man as Will came to a pause alongside Robot. It was a long moment with their eyes on the doorway waiting for it to open.

"It's been five minutes." Vuro announced.

"Oh no, five minutes?" Will was startled by the comment. "What trouble has he gotten into in five minutes flat? That is a new one. That breaks his usual record."

Will descended down the stairs then looked around spotting that Smith was no where to be seen around the Jupiter. He squinted into the distance then surveyed the sand finding foot prints leading away that were promptly approached and determined the boot size to belong to Smith instead of the others. Will followed the footprints until they came to a stop at a field of animals that best resembled sheep but were fluffy stuffed animals.

His hazel eyes searched through the sand spotting the older man slouched under a tall rock with a improvised shade. All the tension and fear dwindled just then spotting the elderly man safe and sound taking a nap on a bed of rock with a easy -- and natural way of support to help him up -- to be seated. Smith looked quite content under the shade snoring away.

"Should we--"

"No, Vuro."

"Can't just leave him there."

"We can do just that." Will turned away then began to walk on back in the direction of the Jupiter 2. "Fear and self preservation are more powerful than a back being thrown out stopping someone like him."

Vuro looked toward Smith then toward Will.

"You Earthlings are weird." Vuro said.

"And here I thought Vaslas and Aklana and Ma'quo were more weird for digging trenches out of boredom on second thought." Will said then looked toward Vuro. "Is that what they are still doing for fun?"

"It's a sand castle." Vuro said. "Our species are very good at erecting them and making sure they stand."

"A skill?" Will asked.

"A gift of the natural body and mind." Vuro said as the lizard wrapped around his neck. "It's not done yet."

"You and that lizard, why does it stick close to you?" Will asked.

"No idea but I like it." Vuro said.

Will laughed.


	11. Do not tell

"Lord, it's been six months." Vuro said.

Aklana had her arms folded with her back to him. They had only recently finished the magnificent and time wasting sand castle that had all the features of what she normally lived in when on homeworld, ruling, enjoying the fruits of her efforts to root out the evil that upset the people and herself to a great extent. She looked out the large window.

"We have to see this through." Aklana lifted her head up with a sigh.

"At the cost of looking like fools starting a alliance with the Earthlings? They haven't established the most accepted version of warp drive. They still use the duetronium."

"Vuro--"

"Just tell him!" Vuro cut her off.

Aklana grimaced at his reply.

"Telling him is not wise." Aklana said, simply.

"Wise?" His shoulders slumped, leaning forward, his jaw falling with the unexpected reply then lifted his arm across. "It's the best idea, no harm, no foul--"

"Soon as he knows that were my intentions; things are going to be quite unpredictable!" Aklana snapped.

Vuro's brows furrowed, his frown deepened, and anger was clear in his eyes.

"This man has forgiven all sorts of people and helped them even after they tried to wrong him!" Vuro straightened up throwing his hands into the air. "Why can't you accept him?"

Aklana snorted as she walked away from Vuro coming to the edge of the circular chamber coming over to the opposing window.

"It's been very entertaining months mind you." Aklana said. "These Earthlings represent a very unique civilization." she placed her hands on the side of her arms looking on toward the landscape that had few trees that had leaves while leaning against the window frame. "They need time to resettle their civilization." She turned toward him. "Now is not the time to start webbing a take over."

"It's been fifty-five years!" Vuro announced, standing on the tips of his toes, his fingers meeting the ceiling . "And we're not discussing conquering their world, Lord." he sat back down to his feet folding his arms. "Forgive me, but this rash of topic changing isn't doing well."

Aklana looked toward the distant shape of the Jupiter 2.

"Fifty-five years isn't enough to convince people from leaving their world, a hundred is enough. Stubborn persists in any galaxy."

Vuro threw his head back, clenching onto his head, screeching.

"It's been chaotic, silly, and insane with these old men having the time of their lives!"

Vuro paced back and forth throwing his hands up into the air.

"Just yesterday--" Vuro walked away then paused beside a large boulder that resembled a table then sighed. "They were using alien giraffes, _alien_ giraffes," his facial features twitched. "just to race in a wagon instead of the Chariot against a old alien racer who used to win space races forty-five years ago."

Aklana turned toward him, curious.

"What did the old racer use?"

Vuro looked toward her, dumbstruck initially, then proceeded to reply.

"Two alien kangaroos." Vuro said.

"And the old racer lost." Aklana assumed.

"No," Aklana's brown eyes flashed open in shock. "the old racer won."

"He won?" Aklana was stunned but yet, confused.

"They let him." Vuro approached her then paused in front of Aklana. "Listen, Lord. I just want to go _home_."

"I can't go through with that!" Aklana said as she snarled turning toward the younger man who paused in his tracks feeling a distinctive chill.

"What you are capable of . . ." Vuro sighed. "Is made of legends, made of hundreds of people, more than yourself---just like the Earthlings!"

"If you tell him, you will suffer the consequences." Aklana warned.

Vuro's eyes locked on her. 

"Then how about you ask for a shuttle and send me home?" Vuro asked. "I won't tell anyone, in fact."

"And break our--"

Vuro cleared his throat loudly enough to stop her from speaking, briefly closing his eyes, looking aside then shifted his gaze back toward Aklana.

"It's not me to talk about embarrassment." Vuro admitted.

"Promise?" Aklana looked toward Vuro, uncertainly.

Vuro stared at her for a long moment before reply.

"I haven't talked about how the elderly Earthling has embarrassed Robot, himself, Vaslas, and I at any time." Vuro reminded the older woman. Aklana looked aside thinking back to the recent events that had transpired prior. "I have complained about how the stupid things that they have gotten into."

"No." Aklana said. "It's silly." she shook her head with a laugh then held her hand up. "I see that now."

She became apologetic upon the younger member of the group.

"To consider you being a chatter about these sort of things is absurd."

Vuro nodded, grinning, from ear to ear.

"Can you wait a week?" Aklana asked. "The landing area must be decided for you to leave."

"One week." Vuro said. "And that's it?"

"That's it." Aklana confirmed.

Vuro became lighter as his shoulders loosened and smiled. 

"One week." Vuro's smile grew broad. "I can stand another week on this moronic planet for that."

Vuro whistled walking out of the chamber as Aklana came over to admire the sculpture that she had made herself during the construction of the sand castle. Her long, bony fingers stroked the side of the sculpture then smiled with some confidence that everything would be right again even as odd as it were to become in a moment of personal humiliation.

Aklana sighed then walked down the narrow corridor stroking the wall of the hall until it ended at the court yard that had only a fire pit. There was nothing in the fire pit just as there was nothing to be held going along with the Earthlings to Earth. She clasped her forehead with a sigh then lowered her head. If she hadn't been so arrogant about the future of Earth and had asked about it from time to time, going there wouldn't be awkward at all. She raised her head up with resolve; upon returning, this incident was best to be forgotten.

She clasped the side of her head.

Now, getting home after being dropped off--

Aklana was getting a headache.


End file.
